An incredible Vilma Murto from Finland deprived Katerina Stefanidi of the third consecutive gold medal in the European Championships!
The Greek champion, although having had an excellent run in the pole vault final and achieved her best performance this year with 4.75m, saw 24-year-old Murto give her best with 4.85m. (eight cm above her previous individual and national record and 20 cm above her best performance this year) and be crowned European champion.
Read also: Olympic Games – Pole vault – Stefanidi fourth, Kyriakopoulou eighth
Katerina Stefanidi won the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games with a jump of 4.85 meters while she is the European champion in open-air athletics (2018), champion in the World Indoor Championships, champion in the European Indoor Championships and twice received the bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships.
Stefanidi started her race from the 4.40 mark which she passed with her first attempt. The 32-year-old athlete cleared 4.55, and 4.65 meters with ease, which only three athletes cleared.
Stefanidi cleared 4.70 with the first try, matching her record for this year. This made opponents Suttey and Murto anxious as they failed to clear this in their first attempts.
The athlete from Slovenia passed 4.70 with the second try while Murto chose not to attempt, but wait. The three athletes gave spectators a great final after passing 4.75 (Stephanidi and Soutei with the first).
The bar was then raised to 4.80 meters. Katerina Stefanidi had her first failed attempt in the final with Murto succeeding by crossing the bar and going over the top setting a new Finnish National Record.
Tina Suttey failed to clear 4.80 meters and won the bronze medal. Katerina Stefanidi had two failed attempts at 4.85 getting the silver medal, with Vilma Murto climbing to the top step of the podium.
