byLarry EderI was not expecting big jumps in New York on June 14, 2014. Then, the high jump just got electric. Mutasz Barshim cleared 2.42 meters, the crowd goes, well nuts.
Valerie Adams wins the shot put on her fifth throw, crowd applauds.
Then, and this all happened in four minutes, mind you, Bohdan Bondarenkco clear 2.42 meters.
As the announcer noted: ” You have seen history. Never before have two men clear two meters, forty-two in the same competition!
Bohdan Bondarenko, adidas GP 2014, photo by PhotoRun.net
Championship events are unique events. Considering all of the ways that an athlete can make an error, it is amazing that anyone wins.
Nerves, a cold, bad weather, someone else’s good day, all can play a part in taking someone’s greatest dreams apart.
It is not surprising that athletes with some experience, tend to do better, especially in the technical events.
Such was the case in the Men’s high jump on Friday night, August 15.
The rain was on and off. It was cold, and, oh, did I say it was raining in a horizontal fashion at times?
It was.
The field was, difficult.
There was 2012 Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov. Ukhov jumped 2.41m in May 2014 and 2.42m in February 2014. There was Jaroslav Baba, Greece, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist with a pb of 2.37 (from 2005). There was fast rising Andriy Protsenko, who scored two PBs in past two months, now at .
And there was Bohdan Bondarenko, who makes attempts at 2.46m like some floss their teeth (I mean, regularly).
On June 14, 2014, Bohdan jumped his pb, hitting 2.42m. He then jumped 2.39 in Marrakech, then twice at 2.40 ( Lausanne & Monaco).
His win in Euros was interesting.
AS Ukhov had some issues, and could only clear 2.30m, and Protsenko cleared 2.33m, on the third attempt, missed once at 2.35m and then tried 2.37m twice, to no avail. Bondarenko took two times to clear 2.30m, two times at 2.35m, and he cleared.
Bondarenko tried 2.41m, but it was not to be. Bad conditions for high jumping.
Bohdan Bondarenko put the whole night in perspective:
“I feel good, I am happy because we had rain all day, and with rain it is hard for high jump. I feel good even though we had a long competition. We were held up serveral times. I have jumped better before, but today there was just too much rain and it was too cold. I do not know how high I can jump in the future. My first attempt at 2.43m – the technique was bad then. After the first attempt I stopped because I was afraid to get injured.”
Bohdan Bondarenko is ever wary of injuries. As he told us in New York: ” I only have two legs.”
