Bleeding, bruised McCartney extends NZ record

When Eliza McCartney whacked the bar off with an elbow, then ripped open a hand with her spikes on the next attempt, things didn’t look promising at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon yesterday.

However, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist finished the Prefontaine Classic with a national record of 4.85m and second behind seasoned American Jenn Suhr, the 2012 Olympic champion, who posted the same height but needed fewer attempts.

McCartney, 21, cleared the bar with ease on several vaults, and overcame those setbacks at 4.50m to finish strongly.

“I was not that confident. I was bleeding and had a bruise on my elbow. I thought on my last attempt I’d give it my best shot,” she told Radio Sport.

McCartney headed Olympic champion Ekaterina Stefanidi and world indoor champion Sandi Morris in a morale-booster at the start of a busy European season.

She cleared 4.60m with her first attempt at the height, 4.70m on her second and 4.80m on her third. The record came on her first attempt at 4.85m, beating her previous mark of 4.82m set last year.

“I’m so happy. It’s been a long time coming and I know I’ve still got so much more in me, and it’s been showing in training,” said McCartney. “I was just waiting for the right competition to come along.”

She is returning home before going to Europe and more competition. And she’s now come to a realisation that she performs better when there are no expectations on her. That was the case in Rio.

“I just realised a couple of days ago that when I’ve had that attitude, that’s when I jump the highest,” McCartney

I thought on my last attempt I’d give it my best shot. Eliza McCartney

said. “Rio was exactly the same, once I was in the final, it was the same attitude . . . it was just jumping my best and that’s what I did [yesterday].”

World champion shot putter Tom Walsh had a meet to forget. In the opening Diamond League event for the men, he finished fourth with a best of 21.84m with his second effort.

American Ryan Crouser won with a meet record 22.53m, on his fifth.

Poland’s Michael Haratyk was second with 21.97m and Jamaican Darlan Romani third with 21.95m.