Sawano out-duels Walker in Shizuoka - 5.75

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=38535.html

Sawano out-duels Walker in Shizuoka
Tuesday 1 May 2007
Battling windy conditions, Daichi Sawano out-dueled World indoor champion Brad Walker in the Pole Vault at the Shizuoka International meeting, the highlight of a pair of competitions in Shizuoka and Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday (29) and Monday (30).

5.75m leap for Sawano




Another 19m throw for Valerie Vili in Shizuoka
(Kazutaka Eguchi (Agence SHOT))

Fitting for a meeting in which Sergey Bubka leaped a World record 6.07m in 1991 – Seppo Raty of Finland also extended the World record in the Javelin to 91.98m at the same meeting 16 years ago – it was the Pole Vault that took centre stage, and it was Sawano, who raised the national record to 5.83 at this meeting two years ago, who emerged triumphant.

The showdown began at 5.60m, when both the rising Japanese star and Walker needed two attempts before moving on to 5.75m. Despite suffering from a severe cramp, Sawano continued to jump and took the competition with a third attempt clearance. Although the bar fell, officials later confirmed that it was the strong wind that knocked it down, giving Sawano credit for a clearance equalling his season’s best from last year.

“The height of 5.75 was my last season’s best, so it is good to match that height in this early season meet,â€Â