She won the title by clearing 2.02m on her first attempt, setting a personal best. Her mark also equalled the Oceanian record set last year by fellow Australian Nicola Olyslagers. Mahuchikh cleared the same height but settled for silver, after clearing the mark on her second attempt. Italy’s Elena Vallortigara earned bronze with a season’s best of 2.00m.
“I knew I could bring a big performance, I have not competed much, but to come here tonight, seeing all these phenomenal athletes doing so well, I am just so humbled. I just could not believe I am the champion”.
-Eleanor Patterson
By the time the bar was raised to 1.98m, only eight women remained. Kazakhstan’s Nadezhda Dubovitskaya and Estonia’s Karmen Bruus struggled on all their attempts and were eliminated, although Bruus did tie the world U18 best of 1.96m. Mahuchikh and Iryna Gerashchenko cleared the bar with ease, as did Vallortigara. Olyslagers failed to clear the mark, but her compatriot Patterson did. Uzbekistan’s Safina Sadullayeva gambled, opting to skip the height after failing her first attempt.
It didn’t quite work out. Sadullayeva brought down the bar on her two attempts at 2.00m. Vallortigara cleared the bar on her first attempt, the Italian continuing to hold the lead. Patterson and Mahuchikh cleared it their second attempts Moments later, Gerashchenko cleared it as well, setting a personal best.
Patterson cleared 2.02m as the crowd unleashed a roar. She sprang up, the joy exuding through her whole body, and hopped off the mat. Mahuchikh cleared next. Gerashchenko failed to clear, as did Vallortigara, but the Italian was awarded bronze on countback.
