Youth Olympic Games Ambassador Yelena Isinbayeva in her 2010 debut in Moscow (© Nikolay Matveev)
Yelena Isinbayeva won the Pole Vault Stars competition for the seventh time while Przemyslaw Czerwinski of Poland improved to 5.82m to take the men’s competition in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Saturday (6).
Isinbayeva set eight World records at this competition since her first appearance in 2004, but this time found her 5.00m standard well out of reach.
Entering the competition at 4.70m, the Russian sailed clear on her first attempt, and followed up with a first try success at 4.85 as well, equalling her 2010 world leading performance, and enough for the victory. Next came an assault on her own indoor World record set in this southeast Ukrainian city one year ago, but none of her three efforts at 5.01m were particularly close.
South American record holder Fabiana Murer, also the reigning World indoor bronze medallist, was the runner-up in her final pre-Doha tune-up, topping out at 4.70m. She took three shots at her own Area record (4.82m) when the bar went up to 4.85m, but missed.
Monika Pyrek of Poland was third at 4.60m, a height managed by four others as well – Russians Alexandra Kiryashova, Yuliya Golubchikova and Tatyana Polnova, and Jirina Ptacnikova of the Czech Republic.
Czerwinski, who was second at the Polish indoor championships a week ago, took a little time to find his rhythm. He needed a second attempt at his opening 5.52m, three at 5.62m and a pair at 5.72m before sealing the victory with a first attempt clearance at 5.82m. The mark exceeded both his previous indoor best of 5.70m, set in Donetsk in 2006, and his outdoor best of 5.80m, set later that same year.
Both Steve Lewis of Great Britain and Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine managed 5.72m, but Lewis sailed clear on his first try and the Ukrainian on his second.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Results -
MEN -
1. Przemislav Czerwinski, POL 5.82
2. Steven Lewis, GBR 5.72
3. Denys Yurchenko, UKR 5.72
4. Dmitriy Starodubtsev, RUS 5.62
5. Lukasz Michalski, POL 5.62
6. Sergey Kucheryanu, RUS 5.62
7. Aleksandr Gripich, RUS 5.62
8. Derek Miles, USA 5.52
9. Maksym Mazuryk, UKR 5.52
10. Tim Mack, USA 5.42
WOMEN -
1. Yelena Isinbaeva, RUS 4.85
2. Fabiana Murer, BRA 4.70
3. Monika Pyrek, POL 4.60
4. Alexandra Kiryashova, RUS 4.60
5. Yuliya Golubchikova, RUS 4.60
6. Tatyana Polnova, RUS 4.60
7. Jirina Ptacnikova, CZE 4.60
8. Caroline Hingst, GER 4.50
9. Kate Dennison, GBR 4.50
9. Chelsea Johnson, USA 4.50
11. Nicole Buchler, SUI 4.35
11. Kristina Gadschiew, GER 4.35
