Report09 Mar 2012


EVENT REPORT - Women's High Jump - Qualification

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Antonietta Di Martino of Italy competes in the Women's High Jump qualification during day one - WIC Istanbul (© Getty Images)

Despite an opening round that went on for nearly two hours, Anna Chicherova’s march towards a first World indoor title continued without a hiccup or a hitch.


The 2011 World champion, along with Swede Ebba Jungmark, were the only jumpers to produce a spotless score card on the way to first attempt clearances at the automatic qualifying height of 1.95m. If Chicherova (RUS) had her way, however, she would have taken even fewer jumps.


“Many of us were confused and had to start at a lower height because we only had two warm-up jumps,” said Chicherova, who is undefeated this season and the world leader at 2.06m.  “Not enough time for 21 women.”


But the 29-year-old hardly labored at the auto qualifier, signaling she’s well positioned to add World indoor gold to her 2004 silver and 2003 bronze.


Jungmark’s first-attempt clearance equaled her season’s best, one of three among those who ultimately qualified at the automatic height.


Italian Antonietta Di Martino’s 1.95, added a centimetre to her 2012 best while Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan produced perhaps the morning’s biggest surprise. The former World junior champion arrived in Istanbul with a 1.91 indoor PB and just a 1.88 season's best, which she improved first to 1.92 after a third attempt clearance and then topped 1.95m on her second try.


U.S. record holder and 2010 silver medallist Chaunte Howard Lowe also moved on at 1.95m along with Belgium’s Olympic champion Tia Hellebaut.


Rounding out the field for Saturday evening’s final after success at 1.92m are Spanish veteran Ruth Beitia and Romanian Esthera Petre. Beitia was the bronze medallist in 2010 while the 21-year-old Petre advanced into her first international final.


Bob Ramsak for the IAAF


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