There was a French one-two in the women’s pole vault, but not in the order many had expected, as Julie Bourgis claimed gold ahead of European U18 leader Isild Drouet with a championship record at the European Athletics U18 Championships on Sunday (19).
Bourgis added 10cm to her lifetime best, clearing 4.40m at the first attempt to secure gold. Drouet needed all three attempts to clear 4.35m before being eliminated at 4.40m, a height 5cm below her personal best.
Drouet appeared to be in control of the competition when she cleared 4.25m at the first attempt. However, Bourgis responded by clearing 4.35m on her first try before producing another first-time clearance at 4.40m to seize the initiative and the title.
Spain’s Alba Benito was the surprise package of the competition. She improved her personal best by 15cm with a first-time clearance at 4.15m, setting a Spanish U18 record and briefly moving into the lead.
But Benito could not clear the next height and had to settle for bronze.
Bourgis enjoys "brilliant" competition
"I am very happy to win this competition," said Bourgis afterwards.
"My goal today was the podium, I never thought that I could achieve a PB and CR. I am very proud. The atmosphere in our team is unbelievable, we are all friends. My warm-up was bad, I did not hit a single mark. But then the competition was brilliant.
"This has happended to me before that I excel after a bad warm-up. So I was not too concerned about that. I even mastered 4.25m in the third attempt, but I cannot tell you how I did that, I have no memories.
"When I knew that I made it to the podium I was more relaxed but I never gave less and was less determined. Isild and me, we do not train together, but we meet at many training camps of the federation and at meetings and championships since many years."