Report09 Sep 2018


Report: women's high jump - IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018

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Mariya Lasitskene leaps to the Continental Cup title in Ostrava (© Getty Images)

Anything other than victory by Mariya Lasitskene would be a major upset in any high jump competition. The world and European champion has lost just one out of her last 50 competitions, and she maintained that record in Ostrava with another decisive win. Her mark of 2.00m marked the sixteenth time this year that she has cleared the two-metre barrier.

Lasitskene’s victory was never much in doubt, as she was in the lead throughout the competition. By the time the jumpers finished with attacking 1.93m, there were only three left, and the favourite was the only one with no misses up to that point. The others to clear that height were Levern Spencer of Saint Lucia and Svetlana Radzivil of Uzbekistan, having done so in the second and third attempts, respectively. Going out at that height was the second representative of Europe, Germany's Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch.

Moving on to 1.95m, the Asian champion Radzivil was the first to clear, but her jump was immediately followed by another first-time clearance by Lasitskene. Spencer failed twice and decided to pass her remaining attempt on to 1.97m.

Her one jump at that height turned out to be unsuccessful, which meant she was certain to finish in third. Both Radzivil and Lasitskene also failed on their first two jumps, but on the third, Lasitskene, last in the jumping order and already assured of victory at this point, cleared comfortably.

With just one woman left, the bar went up to 2.00m and this time Lasitskene only needed one jump to clear, again by some margin. It was only in attempting 2.05m, a would-be world lead and Cup record that she had to yield.

Europe's first and fourth place in this event meant maximum points for their team, proving captain Colin Jackson's decision to use a joker in the event was well founded.

Pawel Jackowski for the IAAF

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