Continental Cup pole vault winner Anzhelika Sidorova (© Getty Images)
In what was by far the strongest women’s pole vault ever witnessed at the IAAF Continental Cup – and indeed the closest – Europe’s Anzhelika Sidorova claimed victory on countback from teammate Katerina Stefanidi and Sandi Morris of Team Americas.
All three cleared a championship best of 4.85m, and all three had to be separated on the number of earlier failures after none could go over the next height of 4.90m.
With African duo Donia Ahmed El Tabagh and Dora Mahfoudhi bowing out at earlier heights along with Asia-Pacific’s Lisa Campbell, just four remained when the bar moved up to 4.55m, which Yarisley Silva of Team Americas needed three attempts to clear.
However, the Cuban could offer no more at 4.65m and bowed out in fourth place, leaving Sidorova, Stefanidi and Morris to contest the top three spots.
Morris was the first to falter, needing three attempts to go over 4.70m but she bounced back well at 4.75m, which she cleared at the second attempt.
Sidorova, meanwhile, maintained her perfect record over 4.75m to put a stranglehold on the event, though after failing her first attempt at 4.80m that began to look in doubt. Stefanidi and Morris both went over 4.80m at the first attempt, and all three subsequently cleared 4.85m at the second try.
When no one could get over 4.90m, the standings were decided by reverting to countback. Given all three had an identical record at 4.85m, they were sorted by their overall total number of failures at all previous heights, with Sidorova’s single failure handing her victory, Stefanidi’s two prior failures placing her second and Morris’s three failures putting her third.
Sidorova herself had not been aware of the rule change in recent years which ultimately had handed her victory.
“I thought I was in second and couldn’t understand why everybody was congratulating me!” she said. “It wasn’t the best season for me which is why jumping well in Ostrava indicates that we are on the right track for future events.
“I’m really upset with my 4.90m attempt as it was incredibly close to being clear, but I know that Stefanidi and Morris were the main favourites in our field so I’m happy I could upset their plans.”
Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF
