Newly crowned European Indoor Champion Holly Bleasdale continued her fine form to take first place in the elite women’s competition at Vault Manchester at the Etihad Complex on Saturday.
Fresh from her triumph in Gothenburg, the 21-year-old added 21cm to the previous record set by fellow London Olympian Kate Dennison in 2010. Bleasdale’s clearance of 4.61m also broke the stadium record at Manchester’s Sport City and leaves the Olympic 6th placer with her sights firmly set on a World Championship medal in Moscow in August.
Cathrine Larsasen was Bleasdale’s nearest challenger, with the Norwegian clearing 4.31m on her way to second place in the competition, while Cardiff AAC’s Bryony Raine finished in third with a best clearance of 3.91m.
In its ninth consecutive year, Vault Manchester welcomed vaulters from all over the United Kingdom and some from the continent aged between nine and sixty.
The highlight of the day was the new meeting and stadium record from Bleasdale. Having won the competition, she took three attempts at a new official British record of 4.80m but it wasn’t to be.
The elite men’s competition demonstrated depth at senior and under 20 levels with winner Luke Cutts jumping a season’s best of 5.46m and runner up Andrew Sutcliffe clearing 5.35m. Under 20 competitors Jack Phipps, Daniel Gardner and Harry Coppell all cleared 5.01m.
Continental flavour was added by Finn Eemeli Salomaki, also fresh from competing in Gothenburg and Frenchman Flavian Basson.
Manchester will next stage world-class pole vaulting at the Great CityGames on May 25.
