WC 2015 - Beijing

[hardflex]

now for the women....

I'll pick Silva, Suhr Sidorova, Morris, Murer, and Kyriokopoulou. 4.70 to be in top 6. 4.75 1st attempt to be top three if the ht progressions go that way.

Silva's Athleticism vs Suhr's Experience vs Sidorova's youth and technical excellence. Should be a good battle. I'm also rooting for longtime favorite Murer and new upstart Morris to earn their Kudos.

Edit Just saw where height progression are 4.60 4.70 4.80 4.85. So I'll say 4.80 to be top 3

[KirkB]

OK so it seems it's prediction's time! Here are mine:
1. Lavillenie 6.06 (assuming he's able to jump on 20 steps without cables on his way) because he'll surely have a try at the CR if possible
2. Barber 5.90
3. Holzdeppe 5.90 (more attempts than SB)

Canag, it's too bad that Lavillenie faltered. He cleared 5.80 by a country mile! I think we all expected him to win the Gold.

But you were spot on with your predictions for Barber and Holzdeppe!

Kirk

[KirkB]

... height progression is 50, 65, 80, 90, 600, 605 ; I think these large steps (580-590-600) are favorable towards Lavillenie (less waiting time for him, hard for the others)

This progression did speed up the competition, but it completely eliminated any passing strategy (other than RL passing to 5.80).

Not that I'm complaining with the results, but I would have thought that they could cut the field in half just as quickly by starting a bit higher (especially since all 16 had already cleared 5.70 in Q), and then go up by 5s after 5.80.

Maybe something like ...

5.60, 5.70, 5.80, 5.85, 5.90, 5.95, 6.00 ... ?

It might also have reduced the log jam (3-way tie for Bronze) at 5.80.

Kirk

[hardflex]

that IAAF link to the pole vault cannot be viewed in the US...

I did see Lavillinie's 5.80 clearance was huge, what happened at the next bar? Barber had 3 or 4 inches on 5.90.

[PVstudent]

Congratulations to Shawnacy Barber on his 5.90m winning jump at the Beijing World Championship.

It is a great achievement for this young vaulter and keeps the future looking bright for Men's Elite Pole Vault Competition at World Top 20 level vaulting over the next few years.

The performance also is worthy of comparison to Dmitri Markov's 6.05 IAAF World Championship Record set in Edmonton 9th August 2001 as being an achievable goal at the next IAAF World Championship given Shawn's relatively young age.

Well done to Shawn and his team on their achievement.

[KirkB]

Final results are here: http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/15th-iaaf-world-championships-4875/results/men/pole-vault/final/series#resultheader

I did see Lavillinie's 5.80 clearance was huge, what happened at the next bar? Barber had 3 or 4 inches on 5.90.

I didn't see RL's 1st 2 attempts, but on his 3rd attempt at 5.90, he had reasonably good height on it (not as good as his 5.80), but came down short. It seemed like he was either on too heavy of a pole, or his standards were too far back. Perhaps his 5.80 clearance was on a lighter pole? The other Frenchman (Kevin Menaldo) actually had a closer miss than RL did at 5.90.

Unfortunately for RL, he just had an off day.

Kirk

[KirkB]

Congratulations to Shawnacy Barber ... The performance also is worthy of comparison to Dmitri Markov's 6.05 IAAF World Championship Record set in Edmonton 9th August 2001 as being an achievable goal at the next IAAF World Championship given Shawn's relatively young age.

Although your remarks to Shawn are encouraging, 6.05 may not even be high enough to win the next one. He still has Holzdeppe and Lavillenie to beat, and they won't be taken by surprise next time!

Between the 3 of them, Dimitri's CR will be in jeopardy!

Kirk

[canag]

Canag, it's too bad that Lavillenie faltered. He cleared 5.80 by a country mile! I think we all expected him to win the Gold.

But you were spot on with your predictions for Barber and Holzdeppe!

Kirk

Thanks Kirk! Yes Renaud was in a good day and all french PV enthusiasts were very sad yesterday that he couldn't get his first outdoor world title. I think that he maybe shouldn't have move up poles after his 580 clearance, as it did not look like necessary. But it was his plan for the final: enter at 580 with 14.0 then change for 13.8 at 590 and above (Wan, do you confirm the numbers?) and he held on to it. Anyway, pole vault is complex and can't be reduced to a choice of pole, it's easy to say "if..." and it might have not changed the result.

Barber had an astonishing year, with an incredible regularity on high bars 580+ on the (very) numerous meets he attended. Let's see what happens next year when he'll turn pro and focus his season for peak performance at championships! I'm curious about something, he looks to have a very high grip, he is using 520 or maybe even 530 poles ?

[canag]

that IAAF link to the pole vault cannot be viewed in the US...

I did see Lavillinie's 5.80 clearance was huge, what happened at the next bar? Barber had 3 or 4 inches on 5.90.

Here is a video recap: https://youtu.be/9Zd3l8r3XoI
Vamos a la pertiga!

I'll post the french feed as soon as I get it, to have RL's first two attempts, but they were pretty similar (very high, not enough horizontal speed, came down on the bar). Also not shown on this video: Shawn was cheering Renaud when the later was attempting 5.90, very good spirit

edit: die Deutschen sind schneller !
Kendricks 580 XXX : https://youtu.be/hRaQcnJkYEg?t=1m15s (nice hat!)
Lavillenie 590 X : https://youtu.be/hRaQcnJkYEg?t=10m11s
Lavillenie 590 XX : https://youtu.be/I503GNm77Jk?t=4m42s
Lavillenie 590 XXX : https://youtu.be/I503GNm77Jk?t=12m11s
Menaldo 590 XX : https://youtu.be/I503GNm77Jk?t=7m38s

[KirkB]

... not shown on this video: Shawn was cheering Renaud when the latter was attempting 5.90, very good spirit

I also noticed that he was clapping on Holzdeppe's 3rd attempt at 5.90, cheering him on.

Kirk

[KirkB]

Renaud ... maybe shouldn't have move up poles after his 580 clearance, as it did not look like necessary. But it was his plan for the final: enter at 580 with 14.0 then change for 13.8 at 590 and above

Here is a video recap: https://youtu.be/9Zd3l8r3XoI

It's hard to criticize the WR holder, as he knows his body and his poles better than anyone.

However, looking at the video recap, his 5.80 clearance didn't warrant moving up a pole. Although lots of height, he had barely enough clearance (coming down) with that pole, and he wasn't penetrating to even the middle of the PLZ.

In hindsight, I believe that this was a tactical mistake (as you say). The issue is: Do you move up a pole in anticipation of being more warmed up (and thus anticipate that the lighter pole will cause the bar to be knocked off on the way up), or do you stick with the same pole until it actually knocks the bar off on the way up?

If he had knocked the bar off on the way up with the lighter pole on his first 5.90 attempt, then he would still have had 2 more tries with his heavier pole. I think this would have been better than moving up a pole, and then having to move down again to a lighter pole on 2nd or 3rd attempts (which he apparently didn't do).

I think the tactical mistake was to stick with a preset plan, and not to adjust that plan during the competition, according to conditions and to how his body was reacting to these conditions.

What were his standards at for each of those vaults?

Kirk

[PVstudent]

A quickly compiled comparison video of the 4.85m vaults by Fabiana Murer and Yarisley Silva in the final.

https://youtu.be/mAcVZzfGNLM