I strongly suspect that a third post in two days on the women's vault is going to seem a bit much to some list members, but I've just learned of another result that is interesting in several ways.
Mirko Jalava's website <www.tilastopaja.net> posts the information that Pavla Hamackova has bettered the Czech women's pole vault in winning a meet at Velenje on 21 June. What causes that to be of special interest is that the height, 4.60m, makes her the sixth vaulter over that mark (and over fifteen feet) this season, and it eclipses the national record of Daniela Bartova, a very significant figure in the short history of the event. With the world championships still six weeks away, the leading contenders in the women's vault, on the basis of this season's performances, now stand as: 4.72 (15'5 3/4") Svetlana Feofanova RUS 16.7.80 163/50 4.70 (15'5") Tatyana Polnova RUS 20.9.79 4.62 (15'1 3/4") Stacy Dragila USA 25.3.71 172/63 4.62 (15'1 3/4") Yelena Isinbayeva RUS 3.6.82 170/59 4.60 (15'1") Annika Becker GER 12.11.81 170/67 4.60 (15'1") Pavla Hamácková CZE 5.2.78 170/66 (Even if the event doesn't interest you, the possibility of a Russian sweep of the medals might.) For people who *are* interested in the event, retirement of Bartova's national record may bring a twinge of nostalgia and sadness. She broke the Czech Republic outdoor record sixteen times and their indoor record five times. Ten of her outdoor marks were also recognized by the IAAF as world records, and all five of the indoor advances were ratified as world indoor records. Cheers (for Hamackova, and for the retired champion)!
