Zurich (AFP) – American Hana Moll cleared a personal best of 4.90 metres to win the women’s pole vault at the Zurich Diamond League, held as a city event in the main train station on Wednesday. Former junior world champion Moll, who finished equal sixth with her twin Amanda at last year’s Tokyo world championships, was the sole vaulter to clear 4.90m. She broke local hearts by pushing Switzerland’s two-time European champion Angelica Moser, also a two-time world indoor bronze medallist, into second with a best of 4.85m.
“It was just survival at the beginning, but to get my personal best was incredible,” said Moll, who had two failures apiece at 4.50 and 4.65m. “This is the most amazing crowd I’ve ever vaulted in front of.” Fans packed in tightly around a raised runway in the heart of Zurich Hauptbahnhof were treated to almost two hours of keen competition. Lea Bachmann no-marked with her first three efforts, meaning an early Swiss casualty.
Related news
The field of 10 was further whittled down when American Emily Grove, New Zealander Eliza McCartney and France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin all failed at 4.75m. The six remaining vaulters all had one failure at 4.85m. Moll was first over at that height, matched to great delight from the raucous partisan crowd by Moser, with a season’s best. New Zealand’s Imogen Ayris, Slovenian Tina Sutej and American Katie Moon — the reigning three-time world champion — all fell by the wayside, however, while Sandi Morris passed after two failures.
Moll was first up with the bar at 4.90m and the 21-year-old sailed over to improve her personal best by 2cm in the decisive moment of the evening’s vaulting. Morris brought the bar down to herald an end to her competition, finishing joint third with US teammate Moon. Moser also twice clipped the bar for two opening failures at 4.90m, with Moll holding all the advantage over the local favourite. The 28-year-old Moser was left with one attempt to drag herself back into the game, but it was not to be as she brought the bar down a third and final time.
The main track and field programme of the Zurich Diamond League will be held at the Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday.
© 2024 AFP
