by Stuart Weir
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
Holly Bradshaw, photo by European Athletics
The women’s pole vault was mesmerizing on Day 2! The drama was always there, as it is in the pole vault. Stuart Weir wrote this piece as his third piece on day 2 of the 2021 European indoor championships.
Women’s Pole vault
The enduring fascination with sport is its unpredictability. If the favorite always won, then why bother to have the competition? Tonight, Holly Bradshaw entered the pole vault final with three 2021 competitions behind her, in which she had vaulted 4.73, 4.78, and 4.85. Angelica Moser was also in tonight’s final. This was Moser’s ninth competition of the season in which she had achieved a range of 4.43-4:61. It is perhaps significant that Moser had managed eight competitions to Bradshaw’s three. Bradshaw had traveled to France for two competitions but there had to quarantine, missing the first. She had wanted to compete in Madrid but was refused entry because Spain had closed its borders to Brits. Moser has competed four times in Switzerland, her home country. Bradshaw had had no elite competitions in the UK. Moser had finished fourth two years ago in Glasgow; Bradshaw second. Bradshaw had been European champion in Goteburg in 2013.
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
Tonight, Moser came in at 4.35 – Bradshaw at 4.55. Moser failed once at 4.45, twice at 4.60 and twice at 4.65. Bradshaw had cleared 4.55 and 4.65 first time. To spell that out Bradshaw had taken two vaults to reach 4.65, Moser nine. Then the tide turned and Bradshaw failed three times at 4.70, seeming to be over the bar and perhaps hitting it on the way down. Moser took 4.70 at the first attempt adding 4.75 for gold and a PR.
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
A delighted Moser said: “I am really happy, really very happy. I have not yet realized it, perhaps tomorrow with the medal around my neck. I had to make three attempts at 4.60 and 4.65 and then just passed 4.70 in the first attempt. I didn’t expect that, I hoped for a medal, but this… I am so delighted. Well now I have to do a covid-test and then go back to the hotel”. It used to be a drug test – now it’s a covid test!
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
Holly Bradshaw is just the nicest athlete you could wish to meet. She has struggled with the lockdown constraints in the UK without complaint. She found a way to train. She is isolating to the point where she said the only people she ever sees are her husband and her coach!
Holly Bradshaw ! photo by European Athletics
Bradshaw’s commented afterward: “You can’t sniff at a European Indoor medal, but I’m incredibly disappointed. I felt great. The other girls handled their jumps really well and I just didn’t quite jump as well today. It’s frustrating to come into the most important meet of the year and jump by far your lowest. In the pole vault, it’s all about fine margins. At 4.70m, I thought I was still doing good jumps. I was executing them well but the bar just wasn’t staying on for me and on any other given day it could have done, but today it didn’t. I’ve learned a lot. I’m feeling relatively positive, yet disappointed. It’s still a really good place to be in moving towards outdoors”.
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
On paper, you would have chosen Bradshaw to beat Moser. Why did Bradshaw fail to produce the form she had shown all year? How did Moser surpass herself when it really mattered?
Angelica Moser takes gold! photo by European Athletics
If I could answer those questions I would be a highly paid consultant – not a RunBlogRun writer!
