Karl deKroo
24mar06
Source
- SYDNEY Olympic silver medallist Tatiana Grigorieva dismissed any suggestion she is battling a knee injury, despite wearing heavy strapping during pole vault qualifying at the MCG last night.
Picture Gallery
The Gold Coast glamour girl missed her attempt of 4.10m, but quickly recovered to clear the mark and progress to tomorrow night's final.
Grigorieva was joined in the last 12 by her 15-year-old niece Vicky Parnov and West Australian gold medal favourite Kym Howe.
Of the strapping on her knee, Grigorieva said: "It's just a prevention thing, it's nothing to worry about. It was a something I did in training, but it's not worth talking about."
Grigorieva seemed shocked when she missed at her first attempt, but cleared her second with some ease.
"I'm feeling really good," Grigorieva said. "I'm in great shape, I've had a really good preparation and I've had a pretty good season. With this big crowd behind me anything is possible."
The defending champion from Manchester predicted she would need to go close to her Sydney Olympic mark of 4.55m to win gold, with Howe the obvious danger.
She said the atmosphere for qualifying last night compared favourably to Sydney.
"I feel I perform my best in front of big crowds and this crowd is beautiful," Grigorieva said. "I can't wait for the final on Saturday."
Parnov was the first of the trio to jump last night and the second youngest Australian track and field representative in Commonwealth Games history appeared anxious.
She missed at her first attempt at 4m, but then cleared 4.10m to qualify.
"She was a bit nervous at the beginning," Grigorieva said of Parnov.
"But then she started to relax and her jump at 4.10m was very good and she is through to the final. I am very proud of her."
Howe looked the most impressive of the Australian trio, waiting until the bar was raised to 4.20m before making her first jump.
She cleared it easily and with a personal and season best of 4.61m, she appears the vaulter to beat.