Posted: March 10, 2006

Athletics: Canada's Dana Ellis brushes with record at world indoor track and field championships

MOSCOW- Olympic finalist Dana Ellis of Kitchener, Ont., came agonizingly close to breaking her Canadian record in the women's pole vault at the 133-country world indoor track and field championships which opened here on Friday.

On her third and final attempt at 4.45 metres, Ellis appeared to clear but on the way down her chest grazed the bar causing it to dislodge. Ellis wound up tied for 10th in the preliminaries at 4.35 and was eliminated. The top-eight advanced to Saturday's final.

''I had tons of height over it so it was pretty painful to know the bar fell,'' said Ellis, who set the Canadian record at 4.40 this winter clearing the distance at both the Millrose Games and at a meet in Arizona. ''I didn't even feel anything on the way down. When I hit the mat I thought I had made it. It was my best jump of the day but I shouldn't have waited until the third attempt to do it. My first two attempts at 4.45 were crappy.''

Russians are 1-2 after the preliminaries with Svetlana Feofanova clearing 4.50 on her first attempt in first, world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva in second clearing 4.50 on her second attempt.

If she had cleared 4.45, Ellis would have needed a 4.50 height to advance to the final. She opened the competition clearing 4.25 and 4.35 on her first attempts. It was the start she needed after battling a hamstring and Achilles heel injuries in recent weeks.

''I hadn't competed for the last month and not trained that much,'' said Ellis, sixth at the 2004 Olympics. ''Prior to the injury I was training great and jumping high in practice. I managed to get one practice before I left and I was able to clear 4.60. So I was very confident going into the 4.45. The video showed that on that last jump I had a 4.50 and 4.60 height in me.''

Ellis was able to compete Friday with her own poles after they were lost upon arrival in Moscow on Thursday. She now heads to Melbourne, Australia for the Commonwealth Games as one of Canada's top medal contenders in track and field.

Ellis is one of two Canadians in Moscow this weekend. Jared McLeod of Winnipeg races in the 60-metre hurdles on Saturday.

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field including cross-country running and road running.

Comment on this story.

Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest