WC Men's Finals Articles

[rainbowgirl28]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4142848.stm

Blom claims shock pole vault gold

Full day six report: day six
Rens Blom became the first Dutchman to win a global athletics gold medal when he claimed a surprise win in the pole vault at the World Championships.
His effort of 5.80m was good enough to give him victory from American Brad Walker (5.75m), with Russian Pavel Gerasimov (5.65m) taking the bronze.

"I've been waiting to jump this well," said Blom. "This was my day. The World Championships has given me wings."

Defending champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy was fifth with 5.50m.

Competing in the arena where Sergei Bubka took the first of six consecutive World Championship golds 22 years ago, Walker and Blom matched each other vault for vault until both cleared 5.75m on their second attempts.

But Blom took command by setting a seasonal best at the next height.

Walker failed once at 5.80m before moving up to 5.85m in an effort to snatch the gold. But he did not get over on his two attempts.

Olympic champion Tim Mack of the US did not take part, having failed to qualify from his national championships.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/08/11 ... avis.reut/

Blom battles for pole vault glory

Thursday, August 11, 2005 Posted: 2039 GMT (0439 HKT)


Dutchman Blom says he was flying on his way to world pole vault gloryHELSINKI, Finland (Reuters) -- Rens Blom overcame cramps, bad weather and a shaky start to win the men's pole vault world title on Thursday, giving the Netherlands its first global gold in the event.

Blom cleared 5.80 meters to beat favorite Brad Walker of the U.S. (5.75) and Russian Pavel Gerasimov (5.65), who took the silver and bronze respectively.

"I've been waiting to jump this well," said Blom. "This really was my day. The world championships has given me wings, I think."

He did not start well, however, as he only cleared 5.50 on his third attempt and then just made 5.65 on his second in front of his idol Sergei Bubka, who was looking on from the stands.

"I was terrible at the start, I don't know what happened. The warm-up went really well, then when I made 5.65 I got really lucky and it gave me the confidence to think, 'I can really do this today'."

It was in the Finnish capital that the great Bubka took the first of six consecutive world golds 22 years ago when the championships were first staged.

The Ukrainian watched Walker and Blom match each other vault for vault until both cleared 5.75 on their second attempts.

Then the Dutchman, struggling with leg cramps, set a season's best of 5.80 on his first attempt, just one centimetre below his personal best.

"I felt pain everywhere in that attempt," Blom said with a smile.

Walker had tried once at that height already and failed so he moved up to 5.85 but did not get over on his two attempts.

The 28-year-old Blom, whose biggest feat was a world indoor bronze two years ago, got a sportsmanlike hug from Walker and then ran up into the crowd to kiss his teary-eyed girlfriend.

Defending champion Giuseppe Gibilisco came a disappointing fifth after failing to clear 5.65.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://en.rian.ru/sports/20050812/41142284.html

Russian wins bronze in pole vault at World Championship
10:59 | 12/ 08/ 2005



HELSINKI, August 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Pavel Gerasimov won the bronze medal in pole vault at the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championship in Helsinki, Finland.

The 26-year-old Russian cleared 5.65 meters.

Dutch Blom Rens won the gold medal with a jump of 5.80 meters and American Brad Walker took silver with 5.75 meters.

The third place was unexpected for Gerasimov because nine of the 12 athletes in the finals had out-jumped him in the qualifying rounds.

Last year Gerasimov suffered a serious back injury. "This is why the medal is particularly valuable for me," he said. "The medal signifies my return to sports."

He said the current competition was a test for his spirit, taking into account the bad weather in the Finnish capital. Gerasimov said he was optimistic about the future and intended to surpass the six-meter mark.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/44869.html

Flying Dutchman takes pole-vault title ‘home’ after rivals slip up

DOUG GILLON August 12 2005




IN YOUR AREA

Weather
- please select - Aberdeen Aviemore Campbeltown Dumfries Dunbar Dundee Edinburgh Falkirk Fort William Glasgow Hawick Inverness Kilmarnock Kirkwall Lerwick Oban Peebles Perth Portree St Andrews Stirling Stranraer Thurso Tiree Ullapool

Local News Search
-- please select -- All Scotland Aberdeen (City) Aberdeenshire Angus Argyll and Bute Borders Clackmannanshire Dumfries and Galloway Dundee (City) East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Lothian East Renfrewshire Edinburgh (City) Falkirk Fife Glasgow (City) Highland Inverclyde Midlothian Moray North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Orkney Perth and Kinross Renfrewshire Shetland South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire West Lothian Western Isles (Na H-Eileanan Siar)







Copyright © 2005 Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited. All Rights Reserved
Sitemap :: Subscription :: Syndication :: Advertising :: About Us :: Terms of Use


THE world championship pole-vault victory last night by Jens Blom condemns him for eternity to be known as the Flying Dutchman.
It is a title he will wear with honour, for the 28-year-old is the first man from the Netherlands to win a global athletics title. When he soared to 5.80 metres in Helsinki, it was the overture to delirious scenes from the nation who believe they invented the sport.
Fierljeppen – canal-leaping – they call it in Friesland, where they have been doing it since they started reclaiming land in the 17th century. They do it for distance, over the water, and have annual competitions, and there was plenty water around on another sopping night.
Conditions on the runway were appalling with a fierce, cold wind gusting in the athletes' faces. It was the lowest winning height since world record-holder Sergei Bubka took the first of his record six successive world titles in 1983.
Blom won world indoor bronze in 2003, but has had a rocky record, no-heighting in the 2001 world final in Edmonton. He was ranked only 11th in the field, but was within one centimetre of his best with his winning clearance.
Holland has won just five previous medals in these championships, three silver and two bronze, and never a men's Olympic gold ever. The last Dutch winner of a global title was Ellen van Langen, who took the Olympic 800m in Seoul.
Blom's victims included America's 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong, Italy's defending world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco and the Australian world champion of 2001, Dmitri Markov. The American, Brad Walker, was second (5.75m) with Russian Pavel Gerasimov third, (5.65).
THE world championship pole-vault victory last night by Jens Blom condemns him for eternity to be known as the Flying Dutchman.
It is a title he will wear with honour, for the 28-year-old is the first man from the Netherlands to win a global athletics title. When he soared to 5.80 metres in Helsinki, it was the overture to delirious scenes from the nation who believe they invented the sport.
Fierljeppen – canal-leaping – they call it in Friesland, where they have been doing it since they started reclaiming land in the 17th century. They do it for distance, over the water, and have annual competitions, and there was plenty water around on another sopping night.
Conditions on the runway were appalling with a fierce, cold wind gusting in the athletes' faces. It was the lowest winning height since world record-holder Sergei Bubka took the first of his record six successive world titles in 1983.
Blom won world indoor bronze in 2003, but has had a rocky record, no-heighting in the 2001 world final in Edmonton. He was ranked only 11th in the field, but was within one centimetre of his best with his winning clearance.
Holland has won just five previous medals in these championships, three silver and two bronze, and never a men's Olympic gold ever. The last Dutch winner of a global title was Ellen van Langen, who took the Olympic 800m in Seoul.
Blom's victims included America's 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong, Italy's defending world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco and the Australian world champion of 2001, Dmitri Markov. The American, Brad Walker, was second (5.75m) with Russian Pavel Gerasimov third, (5.65).
THE world championship pole-vault victory last night by Jens Blom condemns him for eternity to be known as the Flying Dutchman.
It is a title he will wear with honour, for the 28-year-old is the first man from the Netherlands to win a global athletics title. When he soared to 5.80 metres in Helsinki, it was the overture to delirious scenes from the nation who believe they invented the sport.
Fierljeppen – canal-leaping – they call it in Friesland, where they have been doing it since they started reclaiming land in the 17th century. They do it for distance, over the water, and have annual competitions, and there was plenty water around on another sopping night.
Conditions on the runway were appalling with a fierce, cold wind gusting in the athletes' faces. It was the lowest winning height since world record-holder Sergei Bubka took the first of his record six successive world titles in 1983.
Blom won world indoor bronze in 2003, but has had a rocky record, no-heighting in the 2001 world final in Edmonton. He was ranked only 11th in the field, but was within one centimetre of his best with his winning clearance.
Holland has won just five previous medals in these championships, three silver and two bronze, and never a men's Olympic gold ever. The last Dutch winner of a global title was Ellen van Langen, who took the Olympic 800m in Seoul.
Blom's victims included America's 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong, Italy's defending world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco and the Australian world champion of 2001, Dmitri Markov. The American, Brad Walker, was second (5.75m) with Russian Pavel Gerasimov third, (5.65).

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.iaaf.org/WCH05/news/Kind=16/ ... 31462.html

Flash Interviews - Men Pole Vault Final
Thursday 11 August 2005

Gold Medallist - Rens BLOM NED
When I woke up this morning and saw what the weather was like I thought I had a good chance of doing well. Many of the top guys have problems with difficult conditions. This was really my day."

"This was a weird competition. Normally when heights are getting higher you change to harder poles. The wind changed quite a bit after 575 so I had to go back to a softer pole."

"At 5.65 I was so lucky, this has never happened to me. It's typical when I hit the bar even a little bit it comes down every time."

Silver Medallist - Brad WALKER USA
"It was a rough competition. I even had troubles with my opening height. Before my 3rd attempt at that height I said to myself that I deserved to make it. I was very glad when I cleared it. After those problems I finally end up in 2nd place, so I'm really happy."

"It was a hard day to jump. A lot of vaulters were out quite early because of the conditions."

Bronze Medallist - Pavel GERASIMOV RUS
"I feel tired now. Those were very difficult conditions. It was impossible to jump high today. It wasn't really about having a good technique but who had most guts."

"I am satisfied, this is my first medal. I have had so many injuries in last four years so I am happy I finally got a reward."