Athletics World Championships 19.8.–27.8. Ylen channels. See the schedule and broadcast information of the games at this link.
The brightest star in Finnish athletics Wilma Murto is a potential champion candidate in the women’s pole vault competition of the World Championships in Budapest.
We will be the gold favorite Katie Moon. He is an obvious name, as the 32-year-old American is the defending world champion and the Olympic champion two years ago.
He also has the top score of 490 in the world statistics. Jarno Koivusen however, he has a clear view of the main opponent he is coaching.
– Eliza McCartney seems to be the main opponent. I believe that he will be the toughest opponent of all in Budapest, Koivunen tells Urheilu.
The fight for the World Championship gold starts today, Monday, when the women’s pole vaulters jump the qualification. The final is scheduled for Wednesday.
26-year-old Eliza McCartney, like Murro, has been a super talent of the sport. But at the beginning of the year, almost no one would have believed in the New Zealander’s medal chances, let alone the World Cup gold.
In 2018, McCartney broke his wild record of 494, with which he is fifth in the all-time outdoor track record. After that year, bad difficulties started. For example, McCartney, who suffered from Achilles tendon problems, was unable to compete at all in 2020 and 2022.
– There was even an autoimmune disease that sensitizes to tendon problems. He has had difficulties with them for a very long time, Koivunen knows.
Tall, fast and skilled
However, this year McCartney has made a strong return to the race tracks and immediately to the pole elite.
Already in the spring, he exceeded 475. At the end of July, McCartney reached 485 and passed Murro to second place in the world statistics.
McCartney is tall, 179 centimeters. The fracture is a few centimeters longer.
– His most important characteristic is speed. Although he has been out of the sport for four years, he is still reasonably confident. Good mobility in the upper body sets him apart from others. He can be really good in the final jump. If there is a tailwind, he is capable of jumping really high.
– His weakness is if there is changeable weather and a headwind. He is then not very confident to change the stick, Koivunen adds.
Murto, on the other hand, has been good in challenging winds, such as in the Diamond League race he won in Lausanne.
– Wilma is a bit faster, which gives more energy. Eliza is again more mobile in the upper body, which gives her certain advantages.
Could be a current ME woman
Besides the height, Murro and McCartney have a confusing amount of similarities.
In December 2015, McCartney made a pole vault youth ME 464, which Murto broke more than a month later in the hall (471).
McCartney has jumped his best jump in four and a half years this summer. It took Murrola five and a half years to break his old record.
In 2018, Murto trained for some time in New Zealand in McCartney’s training environment.
In the case of Wilma Murro, there has been talk of ME potential. McCartney jumped 494 when he was just 21 years old.
If McCartney’s last few years had not been tinged with troubles, the ME woman in the women’s pole vault might be Yelena Isinbayeva instead of McCartney.
McCartney is the youngest Olympic medalist in the sport at the age of 19.
– Is it possible, because he has regained his speed surprisingly well. When his legs have been difficult for many years and yet he is reasonably fast at the moment. If there were no difficulties, he would have crossed five meters already.
Jarno Koivunen presents his assessment of other medal favorites and a few surprises.
Katie Moon, USA
He is still the fastest of all the pole vaulters. However, the difference between a good and a bad jump is much bigger for him than, for example, Wilma and Eliza. However, Moon has the most energy in his jump due to his running speed. Of course, last year he had leg problems and didn’t even jump at full speed. He still won. He is not one of those who go over all the heights on the first pass. It can be decisive sometimes.
Nina Kennedy, Australia
Therefore, Moon, McCartney and Murto jump from the WC gold. In terms of lesser medals, Nina Kennedy is the strongest contender of the trio. He is such a jumper that, on a good day, all heights are crossed with the first one. He has done many jumps this year that would have taken 480.
The maximum potential is not as strong as Moon and McCartney. If the rankings are fought by knockouts, then Kennedy can be tough. He loses a lot in reach, but he’s really good on the fence.
They also have a medal seam
Tina Sutej SLO: Can reach the medals with a clean game. Can jump between 470-480. I don’t think he can win the race.
Alysha Newman CAN: Is a good jumper. He jumped 473 at the Canadian championships. If there is a tailwind, he can surprise. But if there are more difficult conditions, it will be more difficult for him. He jumped well in the reign period, but had difficulties in outdoor conditions.
Sandi Morris USA: Morris, who did well in the prestigious competitions, has had a more difficult season. He had a crown at the time of the American championships. He is a potential jumper because of his good running speed.
Additional note: Women’s pole vaulting is very global as far as the top is concerned. The top of the moment comes from North America, Oceania and Europe. With Murro, he once jumped to Venezuela from the youth World Cup gold Robeilys Peinado is the adult WC bronze medalist from 2017. There will also be potential jumpers from China.
– Only Africa lacks a clear factor, says Jarno Koivunen.
Wilma Murto competes in pole vault qualifying on Monday at 19:40. The women’s pole vault final is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23. at 8:30 p.m. will show the World Championships live, see the race program at this link.