Finishing seventh is not normally worth celebrating. But after Holly Bradshaw’s struggles over the past two years, finishing seventh in the world championships pole vault final seemed a significant step forward.
Bradshaw has not vaulted in the past two summers because of a back injury that at times was so bad, the former European Indoor champion wondered if she would compete at her best again. Yesterday provided redemption as she cleared 4.70 metres while Yarisley Silva, of Cuba, was the winner with 4.90.
“I’m so happy. I didn’t really know what to expect coming into this competition,” Bradshaw, who was Holly Bleasdale until her marriage last October, said. “After I qualified so well, I didn’t really know what would happen. But 4.70 is only one centimetre off the British outdoor record and an outdoor PB.
“It’s been really tough [during the] past couple of years and this year hasn’t been such a smooth ride. To be rewarded with a top eight in the world, it’s a great stepping stone towards Rio.”
Eilidh Child was less happy with finishing sixth in the final of the 400 metres hurdles. She began well but stuttered on the final bend and finished in 54.78sec, well adrift of Zuzana Hejnova, the winner from the Czech Republic, who recorded a time of 53.50.
Advertisement
“I feel like I should be among the medals, or at least closer, and I just feel like I’m throwing these opportunities away,” Child said. “It’s been a transition year with a new stride pattern and I wanted to have nailed it before I got here, but I hadn’t really done that. Hopefully, next year I’ll be a bit quicker and make that stride pattern a bit more consistent.”
Rabah Yousif finished a respectable sixth in a hot 400 metres final in which Wayde Van Niekerk, of South Africa, upset the established order as he won in 43.48sec, ahead of LaShawn Merritt, of the United States, in second. Kirani James, the Olympic champion from Grenada, finished in third.
Mo Farah cleared the way for another gold-medal attempt as he qualified for Saturday’s 5,000 metres final, although, as in the 10,000 metres final last Saturday, he had to survive a trip during the race before progressing.
Tom Farrell also qualified for the final after finishing fourth in the first heat in 13min 45.29sec.
Lynsey Sharp, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Jenny Meadows all reached the semi-finals of the women’s 800 metres, while Sophie Hitchon reached the final of the women’s hammer.