Morris sets sight at Isinbayeva’s world record

AFP, BRUSSELS: American Sandi Morris immediately set her heights high after vaulting her way into the history books in Brussels when she became just the third woman ever to pass the mythical five-metre bar.
Morris nailed a 5.00m attempt to win the season-ending Diamond League meet late Friday and match the feats of Russian world record holder and two-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva and fellow American Jennifer Suhr, who has achieved 5.03m vaulting indoors.
“I’m only the third woman in history to do it if you include indoors and outdoors,” said Morris, with just her and Russian vaulting icon Isinbayeva having cleared 5m outdoors.
“It’s really an honour because it’s a mental number. I’ve jumped into the 5m club, it’s just a number to be respected and it’s really cool to be in that club.”
Hopes Morris might have entertained of competing against Isinbayeva have moved to the backburner as the Russian, prevented from taking part in the Rio Olympics where the American won silver behind Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi, has since retired.
Isinbayeva, whose world record stands at 5.06m, couldn’t resist leaving the sport with a parting shot at fellow competitors, saying the 2016 gold medallist wouldn’t be a fully-fledged champion because they had not competed against her.
“I was hoping to get a chance to jump against her because she is someone I grew up watching, idolising and it would have been really cool to be in competition with her, Jenn Suhr and me,” Morris said of Isinbayeva.
“That would have been really awesome. But I have mixed emotions about it after seeing some of her comments. “But I wanted to think that there was something lost in translation. Just different cultures honestly. “I still respect her. No hard feelings, and yeah, I wish I could have jumped against her.”
On Friday, Morris enjoyed three ambitious attempts at 5.07m, 1cm higher than Isinbayeva’s best. “After I made 5 metres, my coach looked at me and said ‘do you want to stop or take three attempts at the world record?’ And I said are you kidding, I’m going to take these three attempts because if I put it together and I make the bar I’ll be really happy that I attempted it,” she said.
“It wasn’t there tonight and I also landed on the crossbar on my last attempt so my back is going to be bruised but it’s good to have those battle injuries.”
Morris admitted that after a competition during which she made 15 vaults, at least five or six more than normal, she knew it was ambitious.
“I didn’t think I had the perfect jump in me after that,” she acknowledged. “It is a good thing that I didn’t break the world record tonight since I have next year to go for.
“If you automatically achieve all your goals right off the bat, what will you have to go for. It gives me a lot of motivation for next season.”
Morris said that she and her coach Bryan Compton would instigate a series of small rectifications for the 2017 season when the world championships will be held in London in August.

 

 

Morris sets sight at Isinbayevas world record

AFP, BRUSSELS: American Sandi Morris immediately set her heights high after vaulting her way into the history books in Brussels when she became just the third woman ever to pass the mythical five-metre bar. Morris nailed a 5.00m attempt to win the season-ending Diamond League meet late Friday and match the feats of Russian world record holder and two-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva and fellow American Jennifer Suhr, who has achieved 5.03m vaulting indoors. Im only the third woman in history to do it if you include indoors and outdoors, said Morris, with just her and Russian vaulting icon Isinbayeva having cleared 5m outdoors. Its really an honour because its a mental number. Ive jumped into the 5m club, its just a number to be respected and its really cool to be in that club. Hopes Morris might have entertained of competing against Isinbayeva have moved to the backburner as the Russian, prevented from taking part in the Rio Olympics where the American won silver behind Greeces Katerina Stefanidi, has since retired. Isinbayeva, whose world record stands at 5.06m, couldnt resist leaving the sport with a parting shot at fellow competitors, saying the 2016 gold medallist wouldnt be a fully-fledged champion because they had not competed against her. I was hoping to get a chance to jump against her because she is someone I grew up watching, idolising and it would have been really cool to be in competition with her, Jenn Suhr and me, Morris said of Isinbayeva. That would have been really awesome. But I have mixed emotions about it after seeing some of her comments. But I wanted to think that there was something lost in translation. Just different cultures honestly. I still respect her. No hard feelings, and yeah, I wish I could have jumped against her. On Friday, Morris enjoyed three ambitious attempts at 5.07m, 1cm higher than Isinbayevas best. After I made 5 metres, my coach looked at me and said do you want to stop or take three attempts at the world record? And I said are you kidding, Im going to take these three attempts because if I put it together and I make the bar Ill be really happy that I attempted it, she said. It wasnt there tonight and I also landed on the crossbar on my last attempt so my back is going to be bruised but its good to have those battle injuries. Morris admitted that after a competition during which she made 15 vaults, at least five or six more than normal, she knew it was ambitious. I didnt think I had the perfect jump in me after that, she acknowledged. It is a good thing that I didnt break the world record tonight since I have next year to go for. If you automatically achieve all your goals right off the bat, what will you have to go for. It gives me a lot of motivation for next season. Morris said that she and her coach Bryan Compton would instigate a series of small rectifications for the 2017 season when the world championships will be held in London in August.