McCartney close to NZ record in finishing third
WELLINGTON: Eliza McCartney finished third and went close to beating her New Zealand pole vault record at a Diamond League meet in Rome yesterday.
McCartney cleared a best height of 4.75m but failed in her three bids at 4.85m, which was 3cm higher than the national mark she set in February.
In her first competition for two months, the Olympic bronze medallist finished level with runnerup Cuban Yarisley Silva on 4.75m but was deemed to be third after producing more total failed jumps.
Earlier, it took McCartney two attempts to clear both 4.40m and 4.65m while she just cleared 4.75m on her third attempt.
Olympic champion Katerina Stefandi was a dominant winner, clearing her first attempt at 4.85m before making a failed bid to break the world record when she lifted the bar to 5.07m.
McCartney (20) is preparing for the world championships in London in August.
Before then, she has Diamond League events in Oslo, Stockholm and London.
Kenyan Hellen Obiri destroyed the field to win the women’s 5000m in Rome, upstaging Genzebe Dibaba who was expected to make a world record attempt.
Obiri, the Olympic silver medallist, ran the fifthfastest time in history and the quickest of the season as she finished in 14min 18.37sec, nearly 15sec ahead of compatriot Agnes Jebet Tirop in second place.
Obiri broke the field with a 64.75sec second lap and from that point on was racing against the clock. Ethiopian Dibaba, the 1500m world recordholder, finished sixth.
In the javelin, Thomas Roehler produced another monster throw to overhaul fellow German Johannes Vetter and win with his final attempt.
The Olympic gold medallist, who threw an alltime second best of 93.9m in Doha last month, this time managed 90.06m as he continued his impressive preparations for the world championships in London, in August.
Canadian Olympic silver medallist Andre de Grasse, likely to be the main challenger to Jamaican triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt in the 200m in London, comfortably won his race in 20.01sec.
Britain’s Chijindu Ujah won the 100m in a windassisted 9.86sec, upstaging American Ronnie Baker. — NZN/Reuters