by Larry EderIvan Ukhov, a You Tube phenom, became the number four all time high jumper with his jump last night in Athens!
TRACK PROFILE Report #864
26-February-2009
UKHOV JUMPS 2.40m [7-10 ¾ ] IN ATHENS
By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2009 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved
Ivan Ukhov’s hangover is officially over.
The 22-year-old Russian, whose drunken attempts at high jumping at last September’s Athletissima Super Grand Prix in Lausanne became a YouTube sensation, last night became only the sixth man to ever scale 2.40m [7-10 ½ ] indoors.
The jump, at Wednesday’s Athens 2009 indoor meeting near the Greek capital, added a centimeter to his own Russian indoor record of 2.39 which he set in February 2007, and elevates him to the No. 4 spot all-time, where he joined American record holder Hollis Conway and Swede Stefan Holm.
Only three men –Cuban Javier Sotomayor (2.43m/7-11 ½ ), German Carlo Thranhardt (2.42m/7-11 ¼ ) and Swede Patrik Sjoberg (2.41m/7-10 ¾ )– have ever leapt higher.
Ukhov has been on a tear this winter, winning seven of his nine competitions while sitting atop the world rankings throughout. He will be a strong favorite for the continental title at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, Italy, which begin in eight days time.
ENDS
