On Friday, the European U23 Athletics Championships continue in Bergen (Norway). A total of 18 Lithuanians participated in it, and in the morning session of the second day of the competition, pole vaulters Elzė Kudulytė and Rugilė Miklyčiūtė, trained by Rita Sadzevičienė, entered the stadium. The track and field athletes who successfully completed the qualification stage won the right to start in the final.
A total of 29 athletes competed in the qualification, and 12 made it to the final. To get to the final, you had to jump a height of 4.15 m. European Championship debutant E. Kudulytė overcame a height of 3.70 m in the second attempt, 3.85 m in the first, 4.00 m in the first and 4.15 m in the second. This is a new personal record for an athlete. The previous career result (4.05 m), which paved the way for this championship, lasted for less than two weeks.
“The main goal was to get into this competition. Now I’m just enjoying myself and trying to do the best I can. I probably believed to some extent and knew that I could make it to the final. I am glad that we succeeded,” said E. Kudulytė after the race.
The Lithuanian said that she does not attach too much importance to the achieved result, and does not set specific goals for herself before the final: “I don’t attach importance to it, but it is a very good emotion that in such a competition I coped with the excitement and improved my personal record. So far, no thoughts about the final. I need to rethink everything, come and show what I can do best.”
Lithuanian record holder R. Miklyčiūtė overcame the height of 3.85 m in the qualification with the first attempt, the height of 4.00 m obeyed in the second attempt, and 4.15 m in the first. The track and field athlete set a personal record three weeks ago in Madrid (Spain), in the top division of the European Team Championships, when she jumped 4.30 m.
“The body really didn’t listen to me very much. I didn’t understand what was happening. Running is not what it used to be all the time. I count that even if I felt unwell, I was able to jump the result needed for the final. I don’t know, maybe psychologically I need to rethink everything, talk to the coach, and then everything should turn for the better,” said R. Miklyčiūtė, who did not recognize herself in the sector today.
The multiple Lithuanian champion did not hide the fact that there were thoughts about the final, but they quickly faded. However, this time the experience that R. Miklyčiūtė gained in previous international championships helped to cope with the situation. In 2022, the athlete won 14th place at the European U18 Championships, in 2023 she won a silver medal at the European U20 Championships, and in 2024 she took 13th position at the U20 World Championships.
“There were definitely thoughts that there are chances to get to the final, although we are all very equal. When I came to the sector and saw how I was jumping, those thoughts immediately disappeared. I think that experience helped me jump 4.15 m, although I couldn’t handle my body,” R. Miklyčiūtė reviewed the performance.
The pole vault final will take place on Sunday at 11:40 a.m. The European U23 Championship will be broadcast live on the Eurovision Sport portal. The competition in Bergen will take place until Monday.
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Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
