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| Russia's Ivan Ukhov cleared a world lead equalling 2.38m to win the men's high jump gold in Paris. |
He was expected to win and he did but it is never that simple for Russia’s Ivan Ukhov. After a typically lax start when he had his first failure at 2.29, he finally got going and in the end you wondered what the fuss was all about.
Another clearance of 2.38 – his third this year at that height – was enough to shut the door and gold was his.
“I know I’m in world record shape this season and I wanted to break the record,” said Ukhov.
“However, there were too many attempts in the competition and I did not save enough energy till the end. Still, the 2.38 jump was pretty high. I was very surprised about how Jaroslav Baba jumped today. I know him from other competitions this season and he surprised me a lot.”
What do I do about this, was the gesture that Czech Republic’s Jaroslav Baba directed towards his coach. He had just watched Ukhov go clear at 2.38 to consolidate his grip on the competition.
Having failed for the first time at 2.36 and then another at 2.38, Baba had one last throw of the dice. He took the bar up to 2.40 for his final effort, but it was not to be as he left the mat to embrace the double European Indoor Athletics champion and collect silver.
“After seven long years I am back with a medal around my neck,” said Baba.
“Many people did not believe I could jump that high again. Ukhov was on a different level.”
Bronze went to the European outdoor champion with a new personal best 2.34 and in some small measure Ukhov could be said to have taken revenge for last summer’s defeat in Barcelona.
“I had so many competitions this season and to be honest, I feel very tired,”admitted Shustov. “That is maybe the reason why my foot started to hurt me during the final. I must start to train again and to prepare for outdoors. The indoor season is specific because of the special surface but I confirmed I can perform well both outdoors and indoors. I jump outdoors even better and this can be the recipe how to beat Ivan Ukhov in summer.”
Ukhov entered at 2.20 and kept his track suit bottoms on, looking his usual unconventional self. Too relaxed some might say as he then made his first mistake at 2.29 and found himself in eighth.
Shustov was not doing much better either after failing at the same height, but he quickly rectified at the second time of asking.
Up front meanwhile and jumping crisply was Baba who had enjoyed a clean sheet to this stage.
It was time to get serious. The track suit came off and at 2.32 Ukhov mentally entered the competition. He was now in silver medal position, but he had not made life easy for himself because Baba was still ahead.
2.34 and Baba cleared with ease, a season’s best by three centimetres. Ukhov followed suit but was still not as convincing as the Czech despite clearing without difficulty. Was it to be Baba’s day?
Shustov was having difficulty with 2.34 but cleared at the third time of asking making the bar quiver. It was down to those three for the medals.
At 2.36, Baba suffered his first mistake, but it was not a bad failure. Now it was Ukhov’s turn. Any doubts he may have been entertaining were swept away with a good clearance and he was finally in the lead.
Despite his European outdoor gold and personal best of 2.34 here in the final, Shustov was clearly out of sorts, finding 2.36 below his capabilities.
First major shock of the final was the early exit of German hope Raul Spank at 2.25. The German set a personal best this year of 2.31, but was not even close at his final attempt at 6cm lower. All he could content himself with was a hefty stamp on the ground as he came off the mat, before a despairing gesture to his coach.
PBs were set by the Greeks, Kostadinos Baniotisand Dimitrios Hondrokpouris, 2.32 and 2.29 respectively. Italy’s Marco Fassinotti also cleared 2.29 for a new best.