Ukhov blames pixmen for not soaring higher

SHAGGY-haired Russian Ivan Ukhov leaped to men’s high jump gold on Tuesday and said he could have been celebrating an Olympic record as well if it was not for overzealous photographers.

“I think I could have set an Olympic record if I was not stopped,” a downbeat Ukhov told reporters.

“When photographers started trespassing on the track I decided it was not worth it to try.”

The 26-year-old, not displaying the normal joy of an Olympic gold medal winner, jumped 2.38m on a wet and cold night in east London to finish ahead of America’s Erik Kynard who took silver with 2.33m.

Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim, Canada’s Derek Drouin and Britain’s European champion Robbie Grabarz each won a bronze medal after being tied in third on 2.29m.

Ukhov even survived losing his competition vest on the way to victory, revealing a heavily strapped up back before hastily pinning a number to his compatriot Andrey Silnov’s top.

“My friends are also surprised because they told me that they haven’t taken my shirt,” the twice European and former world indoor champion said.

Ukhov, who had a “strong warning” from the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) for being drunk during a competition in 2008 – footage that soon became a hit on the internet – has the year’s highest jump at 2.39m.

In the London rain he had one failed attempt at 2.40m to try to better American Charles Austin’s 1996 Olympic record of 2.39m, before the presence of photographers eager to get snapping prompted him to take off his shoes and start the celebrations.

“The T-shirt distracted me, and the medal ceremony, and the camera so I decided to stop. I could have jumped even higher at 2.40m,” he said, referring to the women’s pole vault ceremony.