Vlasic delights Croatian fans with record performance

By Mike Rowbottom

September 5 - Croatia's Blanka Vlasic (pictured) provided the IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup with an emotional finale tonight as she delighted 30,000 vociferous fans at her home stadium in Split by equalling the world’s best high jump performance this year of 2.05 metres.

The double world champion, who had already secured victory in an event won overall by Team Europe when her nearest rival, Emma Green, had finished on 1.95, went on to jump 2.00, 2.02 and 2.05 at her first attempt.

Despite failing in three attempts at a world record of 2.10, one centimetre above Stefka Kostadinova’s 23-year-old mark -  Vlasic was patently happy with her performance, which beat the 21-year-old stadium record of 2.04 set by Silvia Costa.

Her outing fulfilled a dream she had since competing at an empty Poljud Stadium when she was 15 years old.

At one point during her lap of honour, Vlasic dropped to her knees on the track, tears streaming, her face falling onto the Croatian flag.

"You can’t imagine what this means to me," Vlasic told the crowd.

"It a moment that my family and I will never forget.

"This today made everything worth it,” Split’s most famous resident, drained from the emotions of the day.

"I could retire tomorrow and I would have no regrets."

Her 2.05 was two centimetres better than she had achieved so far in the season, equalling the mark set earlier this year by American rival Chaunte Lowe.

Vlasic was one of several favourites to live up to their billing in this event, with 110 metres hurdler David Oliver, world and Olympic javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen and David Rudisha, who has twice broken the world 800m record in the last month, all earning victories.

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