 On a high
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-20 08:31
Russian high-jumper Andrey Silnov capped off his season-leading performance with an Olympic gold in Beijing yesterday. The 23-year-old cleared 2.36m with ease to top the event, but failed three times at 2.42m in an attempt to better the Olympic record of 2.39m set by Charles Austin of the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Games. "This is a great moment in my life and I want to say Olympics, I love you," said the first-time Olympian. Silnov claimed to have been cheered up by the Olympic gold of compatriot Elena Isinbaeva, who also cleared a world-record height of 5.05m in the pole vault on Monday night.
"Tonight I tried my best. I have trained very hard. It felt easy, there was not much pressure," Silnov said. Britain's Germaine Mason, who competed for Jamaica until 2006 and still holds the national record in the Caribbean nation, picked up the silver for the event. Former world indoor champion from Russia, Yaroslav Rybakov, took the bronze. Both Mason and Rybakov overcame 2.34m in their respective first attempt. But Mason beat Rybakov at the height of 2.32m, which the Briton cleared in his first attempt and the Russian the third. Defending champion Stefan Holm of Sweden took the fourth spot with 2.32m. Agencies (China Daily 08/20/2008 page5) |
