14 May, 2016

Long Jump Women: Meeting record for Spanovic as Bartoletta is beaten

A meeting record of 6.95 was enough for world bronze medallist Ivana Spanovic to inflict defeat on last year’s world champion and Diamond Race winner Tianna Bartoletta. The Serbian began with a bang, leaping out to go second on this year’s world list with her first jump, 9cm beyond Blessing Okagbare’s meeting record from two years ago. Bartoletta only just survived into the second half and couldn’t get further than a season’s best 6.75 as the consistent Canadian Christabel Nettey took second on countback with her second-best leap of 6.74. Germany’s European indoor silver medallist, Sosthene Moguenara was fourth just a 1cm behind.

Ivana Spanovic: "It was a nice start of the season, especially since I was not jumping off a full approach. It was two steps less than my full run up. We do not run off a full approach at this stage of the season, because I have not got up to full speed yet. I had a very good winter training, we have worked on some technical area's and it is going well."

Tianna Bartoletta: "There was good news and bad news (with this performance). The good news is, I am jumping far, so early in the season. The bad news is I am jumping 30, 40 or 50 cm before the board. I need to take this result with a grain of salt. I overhauled my sprint mechanics for much of the winter and I have only been jumping for the past two months.