The 17-year-old, who was competing in the Shanghai leg of the 2007 China's national indoor athletics championships, also booked a ticket for the Beijing Olympic Games with the brilliant result.

The previous record of 4.45 meters was set by Chinese No. 1 pole vaulter Gao Shuying in March 2002.

Zhang, a rising star, has also qualified for this year's world athletics championships to be held in Osaka, Japan.