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http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050503/kyodo/d89rjmj81.html

Athletics: Sawano sets pole vault national record at Shizuoka meet

(Kyodo) _ Daichi Sawano set a national record of 5.83 meters Tuesday to win the men's pole vault at the Shizuoka international track and field meet.
Sawano broke the previous mark of 5.80 meters he set last June. His new record is ranked third in the world this year and matches the result for fourth place at last year's Athens Olympics.

Sawano, who failed to make the final in Athens, cleared 5.55 meters on his first attempt of the day at Kusanagi athletics stadium and then raised the bar to 5.65 and 5.75 before rewriting his record on his second attempt at 5.83. The 24-year-old failed in his bid to stretch the record to 5.90.

Does anyone have full results for this meet?

Sweet. That dude has some talent. He was the best thing about Reno two years ago.

Actually, he did make the OG finals...tied for 13th.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20050504wo51.htm

Sawano sets new record in pole vault


Ken Marantz Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

Daichi Sawano soared to a new height Tuesday, one that moves him closer to the company of the world's top pole vaulters.

Sawano cleared 5.83 meters to rewrite his own national record and win the title at the Shizuoka International athletics meet at Kusanagi Stadium.

Sawano, who last summer became the first Japanese pole vaulter to make an Olympic final in 20 years, added three centimeters to the record he set at the national championships in June 2004 in Tottori.

"I could do everything I wanted to today, so I thought I could clear 5.83," said the 24-year-old Sawano, who began using a 10-cm longer pole this season.

Sawano, who had already won the competition when he topped his opening height of 5.55, needed three attempts to top 5.75, then cleared 5.83 on his second try.

"My legs were starting to cramp up while trying 5.75," Sawano said.

Asked how he chose 5.83 as the record height, Sawano said he consulted with American Brad Walker, who had a personal best of 5.82 but failed to clear any height Tuesday.

"Brad had cleared 82, so that's why I tried 83," Sawano said. "There's really no difference between 1, 2 or 3."

Sawano failed on three attempts at 5.90. "I thought my best jump was the third try at 90," he said.

Sawano also eclipsed the meet record of 5.75 set by American Jeff Hartwig in 1999, and topped the A qualifying standard of 5.60 for this summer's world championships in Helsinki.

Granted it is early in the season, but Sawano's jump puts him third in the world rankings behind Australians Paul Burgess (6.00) and Steven Hooker (5.87). Sawano will face off against Hooker and Athens Olympic champion Tim Mack of the United States at this Saturday's Osaka Grand Prix.

Sawano got to know Mack this winter, when he spent a month training in Los Angeles. The two appeared at a three-day clinic and, in an exhibition, Sawano beat the Olympic gold medalist.

Sawano said the time in the United States helped boost his confidence. "I can be more relaxed mentally when I compete."

achtungpv wrote: He was the best thing about Reno two years ago.

man, he vaulted awesome at reno 2 years ago.

http://www.polevaultworld.com/Japanese.mpg

I got some more videos of the lower heights i belive, just not on the site.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=29277.html

Sawano 5.83 Pole Vault and Wanjiru 27:08.00 10,000m - highlight Shizuoka
Wednesday 4 May 2005
The 21st annual Shizuoka International in Japan was held yesterday, a national holiday that commemorates the founding of the current national constitution. The highlights were the men’s Pole Vault, where Daichi Sawano cleared 5.83m to improve his own national record by 3cm, and the men’s 10,000m in which a new 18-year-old Kenyan star Samuel Wanjiru dominated the race winning in 27:08.00.

National record monopoly

For Sawano it was his third national record in three years, having recorded 5.75m and 5.80m in the last two national championships in 2003 and 2004. Four-time national champion (1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004) as well as two-time national inter-high school and two-time national inter-collegiate champion, Sawano holds national high school (5.40m), national collegiate (5.52m), national junior (5.50m), national indoor (5.70m), and national outdoor (5.83m) record. Leading up to the 2005 season, Sawano trained in Mt SAC for more than a month from December 22 to January 24, sometimes with Tim Mack the reigning Olympic champion.

After returning to Japan he easily cleared 5.60m in the Yokohama Indoor meet on February 19, where he said, “My 5.60m vault here was much easier than those attempted in the last year around the same time.â€Â