News26 Jan 2004


Kristiansson wins in Dessau, Ecker returns to competition

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Patrick Kristiansson (© Getty Images)

Patrik Kristiansson was the only one to clear 5.70 m in Germany’s first major indoor jump meeting this season in Dessau. In front of 2,600 spectators in the Anhalt Arena, the 26-year-old pole vaulter, who snatched a bronze medal in last year’s World Championships in Paris, returned to winning form at international level. In a good quality field in Dessau, which marked the season’s start for the German vaulters, he jumped 5.70 m and then tried 5.80 m three times without success.

While it was the third edition of the indoor meeting in Dessau it was the first time that the women’s high jump was included. Anna Ksok (Poland) won the event, clearing 1.87 m.

But it was neither Kristiansson nor Ksok who were in the spotlight in Dessau. Having not jumped for more than one and a half years, Danny Ecker returned to competition on Sunday. Greeted with a huge applause he took his first jump at 5.20 m. Slightly misjudging his position to the bar he hit it with his leg. Though pressure rose Ecker then showed his potential. His second jump at 5.20 m looked almost perfect and lifted him probably 40 centimetres above the bar. That probably was his best jump of the day. After clearing 5.40 m at his first attempt, the 26 year-old athlete from Leverkusen could not yet cope with the next height he went for. Trying for 5.60 m he twice just ran through without jumping.

“The problem was, that I felt enormous pressure before the event. Then there was some relief when I cleared 5.20 and 5.40 m. And it was difficult to then concentrate on 5.60 m. Normally that should have been possible for me”, Ecker said. With 5.40 m Danny Ecker took eighth place in Dessau.

While Ecker was happy to be back at all it was a difficult opening of the season for another German, Tim Lobinger. The World Indoor Champion from Birmingham 2003 started his season clearing 5.40 at his second attempt and then failing at 5.60 m. While his second jump did look good, the lack of early form has a simple explanation. When the German vaulters trained together in South Africa for nearly three weeks until the middle of January, Lobinger was unlucky. Long jumping on the second day of the training camp he bruised a rib and also suffered a shoulder problem; as a result he was unable to train properly  in South Africa.

So it was Richard Spiegelburg who was the best of the Germans in Dessau. The German Indoor Champion from 2002 cleared 5.60 m for third place and then missed 5.70 m which is the qualifying height for the World Indoor Championships in Budapest. “Of course I would have liked to clear this mark at the first competition, but 5.60 m is a nice start. You should not expect too much from the very first meeting. Everyone is a bit nervous when the season starts”, Spiegelburg said.

It was only at his third attempt that Patrik Kristiansson cleared 5.70 m to edge out Pavel Gerasimov (Russia) from the winning spot. The Russian took second place with 5.60, while Kristiansson then attempted 5.80 m without success. The meeting record, by the way, remains with Danny Ecker, who won here two years ago with 5.82 m.

On paper Tatyana Grigoryeva might have been considered the  favourite. But the Russian, who has a personal best of 1.96 m from last year, had to be content with 1.84 for fourth place. Only two out of seven participants cleared 1.87 m. Corine Müller (Switzerland) managed this with her last jump, while Anna Ksok was over the bar in her second attempt. Müller then tried for 1.90 m, while Ksok went for 1.93 m. They were both unsuccessful, although Ksok’s second jump was very close. “I really would have liked to jump 1.93 m. But I am happy that I won the event”, the 22 year-old said. “I am happy with my present form and hope to achieve the qualifying standard for the Word Indoor Championships in Budapest which is 1.95 m,” Anna Ksok added. Having been fifth in the European Championships in Munich 2002 as a junior she now needs to improve her personal best by a centimetre to get to Budapest.


Results, Pole Vault, Men:

1. Patrik Kristiansson (SWE)  5.70 m
2. Pavel Gerasimov (RUS)  5.60 m
3. Richard Spiegelburg (GER) 5.60 m
4. Georgi Wassilew (GER)  5.50 m
and Tye Harvey (USA)   5.50 m
6. Björn Otto (GER)   5.50 m
7. Rens Blom (NED)   5.40 m
8. Danny Ecker (GER)   5,40 m
9. Tim Lobinger (GER)   5.40 m

High Jump, Women:

1. Anna Ksok (POL)   1.87 m
2. Corine Müller (SUI)   1.87 m
3. Maresa Cadienhead (CAN) 1.84 m
4. Tatyana Grigoryeva (RUS)  1.84 m
5. Katja Schötz (GER)   1.84 m
6. Sophia Sagonas (GER)  1.84 m

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