Mon, August 06, 2012
LONDON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Double Olympic champion and world record holder Elena Isinbaeva relinquished her Olympic pole vault crown to Jennifer Suhr in London this Monday.
The Russian, who has been the undoubted star of the sport over the last 10 years was unable to clear 4.75 and gambled on a single attempt at 4.80, which she was unable to make, leaving Suhr the silver medal winner from Beijing to take gold ahead of Cuba's Yarisley Silva.
In a competition held in difficult blustery conditions, nobody was able to clear 4.80, but Suhr took gold due to Silva needing two attempts to clear 4.45 much earlier in the competition.
In fairness, Isinbaeva had not looked at her best and missed her first attempt at a relatively modest 4.55, after opting out of jumping 4.30 and 4.45 along with Suhr and Silke Spiegelburg. She then elected not to take her second attempt and move directly onto 4.65
Meanwhile Alana Boyd, Anna Rogowska and Vanessa Boslak all failed their three attempts to clear 4.45.
British hope Holly Bleasdale missed her three attempts at 4.55, just doing enough to dislodge the bar on her last attempt and was followed out by Becky Holliday and Lisa Ryzih from Germany as the field was reduced..
Meanwhile Suhr, who had cleared 4.55 at her first attempt, opted to move directly onto 4.70 and not jump at 4.65, while Spiegelburg cleared 4.65 at the first attempt, while the Czech Republic's Jirina Ptacnikova failed her one vault at that height after she had twice failed 4.55 and then decided to risk it all on one desperate leap.
Isinbaeva may have only had two shots at 4.64, but she only needed one, clearing the distance with room to spare.
Suhr's confidence in skipping 4.65 was well founded as she cleared 4.70 at the first attempt as did Isinbaeva, although she then failed her first attempt at 4.75 as did Isinbaeva.
Suhr then cleared 4.75, a height only two people, herself included had ever cleared at an Olympic final, or it was until Silva cleared as well.
The Cuban had been jumping with increased confidence as the competition progressed, meanwhile Isinbaeva missed her second attempt and opted to move to 4.80 staking everything on one desperate vault.
The crowd cheered her on the run in, but it was not to be as the Russian, who has been the undoubted star of her sport, had to settle for bronze, leaving the battle for gold between Suhr and Silva.
The end was a slight anti-climax as they both missed their 4.80 jumps, but that will not worry Suhr, who can now say she has moved out of Isinbaeva's shadow and lay claim to being the best in the world.
