by Larry EderExactly one month to the day after Chris Nilsen set an American indoor record of 6.02 meters, at Tourcoing, France’s Perche Gold Tour meeting, breaking the 6.01m AR of one Sam Kendricks (London 2017, Doha 2019 WC gold medalist), Chris Nilsen did it again!
Enjoy the video of the clearance above and see how the competition played out, below!
What a magnificent clearance of 6.05 by @chrisnilsen2! Hey Chris, we worship you as the pole vault deity you are! Great jump! @klocke1, https://t.co/vMR2y89VgM
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) March 7, 2022
Chris Nilsen sets second AR in 2022! Nilsen goes 6.05m!
Chris Nilsen continues his domination of the American pole vault in 2022, after his superb wins at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials and his Olympic silver medal from
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Last month in Tourcoing, France, Chris Nilsen broke the American indoor record (6.01m) held by Sam Kendricks with his 6.02m clearance at the Perche En, in Tourcoing, France.
Chris Nilsen, 2022 US Indoor Champs, Feb. 26, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Exactly one month later, Chris Nilsen had a glorious night of pole vaulting, with first attempt clearances on his major heights.
Chris Nilsen made eight attempts and cleared eight heights!
He began at 5.51m, clearing on his first attempt. Nilsen then moved to 5.61m, clearing on his first attempt. And he cleared 5.71m on his first attempt. At this height, Philippines Ernest Obiena was equal in clearances.
2016 Olympic champion Thiago Bras, having a fine year, had cleared 5.51m on his first attempt, then took two attempts to clear 5.71m.
Chris Nilsen had just won the 2022 USATF Indoor Championships in Spokane, Washington last weekend, battling KC Lightfoot, 5.91m to 5.86m.
Chris Nilsen, 2022 USATF Championships, art designed by USATF
Chris Nilsen was just warming up.
Nilsen cleared 5.81m on his first attempt, 5.86 on his first attempts, and 5.91m on his first attempts, Six attempts, six different heights. Chris Nilsen then passed at 5.96m.
Ernest Obiena took three attempts at 5.81m, cleared on attempt 3, passed at 5.86m, and cleared on the first attempt at 5.91m!
Thiago Bras cleared 5.81m, passed at 5.86m, and took three attempts to clear 5.91m successfully!
Three men at 5.91m, so Chris Nilsen had some competition!
Then, all passed at 5.96m.
At 6.01m, Chris Nilsen cleared six meters, point 01 on his first attempt.
Ernest Obiena missed on all three attempts at 6.01m, taking second in the All-Star Perche 2022 Rouen with his first attempt clearance of 5.91m.
Thiago Bras also missed on his three attempts at 6.01m, and with his misses, took third at the All-Star Perche 2022 Rouen with his third attempt clearance of 5.91m.
Nilsen had cemented his win, now it was time to soar.
On his first attempt at 6.05 meters, Chris Nilsen, the Olympic silver medalist, cleared a new American indoor record, breaking his own record set 2/5/2022, exactly a month before of 6.02 meters.
Chris Nilsen told the media that he had hoped for 6.01m, but 6.05m was a good surprise.
Chris Nilsen clears 5.91m, 2022 USATF Indoor Championships, Feb. 26, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
What does this say about Chris Nilsen?
The American pole vaulter is at one of his highest levels of fitness, both physical and mental, his leg speed is fantastic and his obvious enjoyment of his activity will make his competition in Belgrade with Mondo Duplantis one of the highlights of the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
Tina Sutej won the women’s All Star Perche with a Slovenian NR of 4.80m indoors!
Special recognition to Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic champion, Olympic silver medalist, (2x) European champion, European Indoor Champion (3x), WC silver medalist, and former world record holder is the man who conceived of this meet. A total class act, a brilliant vaulter, and he cleared 5.51m in a meet that he was managing tells it all. This meet is on my list of must-dos!
Congrats again to Chris Nilsen, who I hope to interview soon!
One final note, on Sunday, March 6, 2022, at the Meeting Indoor de Paris, Chris Nilsen won the men’s pole vault with a first attempt clearance of 5.88m, and made three game attempts at six meters, not clearing the height. His winning streak continues!
To see how the athletes fared, jump by jump, click here: https://bases.athle.fr/asp.net/liste.aspx?frmbase=resultats&frmmode=1&frmespace=0&frmcompetition=260177
For complete results, please click here: https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7166573
For the story from WA on the meeting, please go to: https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-indoor-tour/news/rouen-paris-nilsen-sutej
