Pole Vault, Women

The greatest women’s vaulter ever was Yelena Isinbayeva, who was the two-time defending champion, twice a World outdoor champion, four times World indoor champion, and had set 17 outdoor world records and 13 indoor world records. But she had taken a year off after not medalling at the 2010 World Indoors, and was not quite as dominant as she once was. Other medal contenders included American Jenn Stuczynski-Suhr, whose best international achievement was a silver at the 2008 World Indoors, and Brazilian Fabiana Murer, who had won the 2011 Worlds and the 2010 World Indoors. But Murer would not make it out of qualifying in a major surprise.

In the finals, the vaulters were met by conditions they hate, gusty winds. Both Issy and Suhr opened at 4.55, with Suhr clearing and Issy missing one attempt and passing to 4.65. She cleared that on one attempt as Suhr passed. They both went over 4.70 on their first try, at which time there were two other vaulters remaining – Cuban Yarisley Silva, who had also cleared 4.70 on one attempt, and German Silke Spiegelburg, who had passed that height after one failure. Silva had missed her first attempt of the event at 4.45, which would prove critical, as she had been perfect since. At 4.75 Spiegelburg missed twice to finish fourth. Isinbayeva also missed twice and then passed to 4.80, after Suhr and Silva both cleared on their second attempts. Isinbayeva could not make 4.80, which dropped her to the bronze medal. Suhr and Silva both failed at 4.80 on all three attempts, giving Suhr the gold medal on fewer total misses – the opening miss for Silva costing her as she won silver.