2019 Reno Diary: Stefanidi and Nageotte, 4.74m at Reno Pole Vault Summit

RENO (USA, Jan 18): Greece’s European champion Katerina Stefanidi cleared 474 to beat American Katie Nageotte on countback at the UCS Pole Vault Summit in Reno. Both achieved the top mark in second attempt and failed at 486. But Nageotte needed three attempts at 456 and that decided. USA’s Lexi Jacobus equalled her PB of 466 to place third. Three more got 456, in a tie for fourth returning Canadian record holder Alysha Newman and Morgan Leleux and as sixth Annie Johnigan. Male European Champion Armand Duplantis, last year’s world No.1, cleared only his opening height 551 in first and then had three failures at 571. That resulted to a tie for fourth with Kevin King (551). Winner was Matt Ludwig (571) with runner-up Seito Yamamoto of Japan (571) and third-placed Andrew Irwin (561). Former World champion Shawn Barber no-heighted at 526.

runblogrun opines: This is where it all started. The team behind this fine event began this in the early 1990s. Everything else is imitation. We covered the first event when we did American Athletics! Humbled to see my friends doing good things all these years.