British pole vaulter fails to defend her title in Nanjing as Marie-Julie Bonnin takes gold in an occasion beset with technical issues and delays
There was pleasure for France however disappointment for Britain within the ladies’s pole vault on the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing on Saturday morning (March 22).
Bonnin equalled the French file of 4.75m to take gold as Caudery, the reigning champion from Glasgow 12 months in the past, cleared 4.70m earlier than coming agonisingly near clearing 4.75m, a efficiency that left her simply exterior the medals.
The competitors was affected by technical issues with a damaged upright resulting in lengthy delays. “The uprights stored breaking again and again,” stated Caudery. “It was actually exhausting to search out my movement in leaping after that. It was powerful however that’s championships for you.”
Tina Sutej of Slovenia took silver with Angelica Moser of Switzerland incomes bronze – each athletes leaping 4.70m as properly.
Caudery loved first time clearances at 4.45m and 4.60m, earlier than requiring a second try at 4.70m. With the bar as much as 4.75m, she couldn’t fairly handle that top.
Solely Bonnin was in a position to clear 4.75m to take the title earlier than making additional makes an attempt at 4.80m.
Marie-Julie Bonnin (Getty)
Caudery added: “It was undoubtedly not what I wished however I’m disenchanted to say the least. It was a very, actually, powerful competitors and there have been quite a lot of technical points, however I don’t wish to put any excuses out. I had some actually good makes an attempt at 4.75m however it has been a rocky indoors, with out the consistency I’d have favored, so heaps to study however I’m transferring on to the following one.
“If there may be an hour wait in the course of the competitors when it’s attending to these medal bars – the actually vital bars – it shouldn’t be occurring at a contest like this. The ladies did wrestle with that, as did I, it ruins the movement and even I do know we had been all deflated after however that’s championships for you.”
Bonnin, 23, stated: “I can not imagine it. It’s like a dream. I really feel like we had been there for a medal, however not the gold. There have been many good women right here who I anticipated to be in nice form.
“We weren’t positive that we had been going to leap right here two months in the past. We didn’t count on it to go this properly, however we tried, and I’m so proud that we made the suitable alternative. The bronze medal (on the European Indoors) was so relieving. I got here right here understanding no one will likely be upset if I don’t do one thing good. Nevertheless it was so relieving.”
» Subscribe to AW journal right here, take a look at our new podcast right here or signal as much as our digital archive of again points from 1945 to the current day right here