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More news articles Fountain sets world-leading pentathlon mark
Hyleas Fountain, who will be Jessica Ennis’s main rival for the title at the World Indoor Championships, sets a PB and world-lead of 4731 points
University Park Indoor meeting (Pennsylvania), January 29-30
HYLEAS FOUNTAIN, who will be Jessica Ennis’s main rival for pentathlon gold at the World Indoor Championships, confirmed her participation in Doha with a world-leading pentathlon mark of 4731 points. The Olympic heptathlon silver medallist moved to No.2 on the American all-time lists and there is clearly scope for improvement on that mark, as Fountain concluded her pentathlon with a fairly ordinary 2:23.89 800m, compared to her lifetime best of 2:15.32.
Fountain’s series started with a clocking of 8.03 in the 60m hurdles, followed by 1.81m in the high jump. Fountain then improved her indoor shot put PB from 12.76m to 13.83m in the third event and the 29-year-old set her second lifetime best of the day in the long jump of 6.68m, before concluding her competition with a 2:23.89 800m clocking.
Despite Fountain’s world-leading mark, Ennis is still likely to start as the pre-competition favourite for the gold medal in Doha. Ennis’s season’s bests (7.95 – 1141pts, 1.94m – 1158pts, 6.39m – 972pts, 13.83m – 783pts) as well as a 2:12.00 800m (936pts) adds up to 4990 points and even if Fountain runs a PB in the 800m of 2:15.00, the US champion would still trail Ennis by 138 points.
Indiana Relays, Bloomington, January 29-30
THERE was a British victory in the mile as Lee Emanuel clocked 3:57.62 while Scott Overall took third in 3:58.61. Both times also equated to lifetime bests.
RYAN SHIELDS set a world-leading 60m mark of 6.58.
New Mexico Invitational, Albuquerque, January 30
THREE-TIME world 200m champion Allyson Felix stepped up to the 400m to take victory in 52.05.
Spanish Cup of Clubs, Valencia, January 30
ONE week after setting a European indoor 2000m record to move to third on the all-time lists, Spain’s Sergio Sanchez set a world-leading 3000m mark of 7:42.71.
Ruth Beitia cleared 1.96m in the high jump.
Zaporizhzhya Indoor Meeting, January 30-31
WORLD heptathlon sixth placer Hanna Melnychenko won the pentathlon with a mark of 4373 points (8.75, 1.75m, 12.56m, 6.12m, 2:23.69), while Viktoriya Dobrynska took second with 4239 points (9.00, 1.81m, 13.12m, 6.00m, 2:25:27).
Other notable performances came from Anton Sayevych in the high jump, who cleared 2.28m, Viktor Kuznyetsov in the long jump (8.05m) and Olesya Povh in the women’s 60m (7.23).
18th Beskydska Latka High Jump meeting, Trinec, January 26
TWO-TIME world champion Blanka Vlasic opened her 2010 campaign with a commanding victory. The Croat cleared 2.01m to defeat former world silver medallist Chaunte Howard by nine centimetres, while Kamila Stepaniuk from Poland took third with a 1.90m clearance.
European indoor champion Ivan Ukhov continued his dominant form with a 2.34m
clearance in the high jump. The Russian indoor record-holder, who had three unsuccessful attempts at 2.38m, took the victory ahead of the USA’s Dusty Jonas, who cleared 2.32m. Ukraine’s Dmitriy Demyanyuk took third with 2.27m, just finishing ahead of home favourite Jaroslav Baba on countback.
VR Banken Meeting, Cottbus, January 27
WORLD fifth placer Aleksandr Gripich was the noteworthy winner here, as the Russian upset a strong German cast to win the pole-vault with a 5.70m clearance.
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