Eliza McCartney shows her delight in clearing 4.70m to earn the right to challenge her Oceania and New Zealand record of 4.82m in Hastings today. Photo/Warren Buckland
If she was looking for affirmation that she was ready to resume pole vaulting after a six-month injury layoff then Eliza McCartney was in for a rude shock in Hastings tonight.
McCartney not only won the women's pole-vaulting event, which doubled as a Gold Coast Commonwealth Games qualifying trial, but she came close to eclipsing her New Zealand and Oceania record during the annual Allan and Sylvia Potts Memorial Classic at the HB Regional Sports Park ground.
But it looked dicey for the Rio Olympics bronze medallist after she had snapped her pole in half during the warm-up session, jarring her confidence but not the steely resolve not only this country but the athletics world has become accustomed to seeing.
"I don't know. I've never ever snapped a pole before — in seven years of vaulting I've never done it," she said soon after applauding the army of vociferous fans who had ridden through every emotional rollercoaster McCartney endured in trying to clear 4.83m before settling for 4.70m.
So how much did the warm-up incident test her constitution?
"Oh quite a bit. I mean I've got quite a few sore bits right now that might be very sore tomorrow from the snap," she said with a laugh, faint abrasions visible on her lime-powdered and black adhesive-stained palms and wrist area.
"I think we came away very unscathed compared to what I've seen people get from a broken pole. I've just got a few little bruises and an egg on my head so I think the pole must have whacked my head but relatively I did pretty well to get out of it with anything major — no cuts, nothing damaged too badly."
The holder of the national and Oceania record of 4.82m was still applying an ice pack to the lump behind her left ear as she walked up to the podium but nothing could wipe that ebullient smile off her face almost 45 minutes later.
She said the embankment of fans carried her every time she lifted off the runway to scale the bar.
"It's awesome having an atmosphere here and people clapping you on and getting behind you and backing you after every jump — you need that to get your adrenalin going to the next level so it's lovely having the people watching us here today."
For McCartney the mishap was just another variable to add to her relatively embryonic dossier in pole vaulting.
"You know, this is a big confidence [booster] and not a major, which means it gives me a chance to learn how to get back on the runway after a snapped pole.
"It can be damaging to your confidence but if you get back on the runaway and you do another jump again then you're back in the game and you're good to go."
McCartney relished the opportunity to go through such a mental hurdle at a domestic meeting.
"No, I haven't watched the video yet but I psyched myself to do it but I just didn't get my chest and my arms over just in time.
"The fact that I could get my hips over is incredible and that's most important thing because it's the highest part of your vault so I'm super excited," said the North Harbour Bays Club member whose torso was well over but, amid groans from the crowd, the bar didn't comply.
The grinning 21-year-old revealed it was an umpteenth-hour decision to compete after she had initially intended to be just part of the week-long clinic that top New Zealand coach Jeremy McColl and his assistant, Brent Booker, of Auckland were conducting from Waimarama beach leading into the Vaulters in the Bay event on Thursday and then today's classic.
It was the Aucklander's first competition since recuperating and conditioning from the Achilles injury she picked up in Europe in August last year.
"Because I've only just started training on pole vault again after my Achilles injury it's only really this year that I started vaulting again so we just didn't expect to be ready in time."
The clinic and training went so swimmingly well for her that she and McColl thought "why not simply go for the high bar and see where it's at".
Just as McColl and fellow Aucklander Imogen Ayris had raved about the conditions in Hastings, McCartney echoed similar sentiments as well as advocating that the week-long clinic should become a regular mecca for the country's elite pole vaulters.
"I have to say the track is fast, there's always the beautiful town [city] and it's hot so you can't get better conditions than that. All the vaulters here have been saying how great this track and runway is to compete on so I think we're very lucky to have such great conditions," the Aucklander said.
Breathtakingly her feat came from just 10 strides into the vaults rather than her 16 at marquee meetings so what can she take from that?.
"It tells me that the technical programme Jeremy and I have been working on is just amazing.
"With less speed I'm just working the pole much better on a shorter run up, which means that I'm getting stronger and I'm technically getting better so that also means my training is working. That is all you want, really," she said, after hugging McColl every time she cleared the bar.
McCartney has now pencilled in the Australia National Athletics Championship to be staged in the Gold Coast on February 15, which is a week before she jets off to
Birmingham, England, for the world indoor championship.
"I'm still planning to do that which is pretty exciting because all the competitors for the Commonwealth Games will be there."
She said moving out to a 12 to 14-stride run up would be an ideal accomplishment in Birmingham.
"From there I think it's just getting back into the groove a little bit. I didn't even do 14 strides in the European circuit last year due to my Achilles injury so just to get back on to the 14 will be great."
The injury-enforced hiatus last winter also had McCartney twiddling her thumbs over the six-month duration.
"It can really play with your head when you can't train properly."
She revealed she couldn't run for the first couple of weeks but, incrementally, the world-class athlete regained her physical prowess and mental fortitude.
"I think it's quite important really, in all of that, to keep your head where it needs to be and not let any of that worry you."
McCartney said it was imperative to place one's faith in the training regime because today she was the proof that it worked.
Conversely, she felt sometimes a break was just as significant as training, alluding to when she was ill and returned rejuvenated.
As for upgrading her national record — "it's no big deal".
"I've got all season to do it so I'm not worried about it at all. It was just incredible to be attempting it today."
Her club mate, Olivia McTaggart, who had eclipsed McCartney's age-group and secondary school records (in Hastings) last year, was second at a height of 4.30m, 20cm above her own indoor PB and 10cm below her outdoor one.
Australian Olympian Liz Parnov finished third, clearing the bar at 4.15m, well shy of her 4.51m PB established in March last year after a broken leg robbed her of competing at the Rio Olympics.
Parnov, of Perth, who cut a lonely figure about 30m away from the action in her bright blue ensemble as McCartney wowed the fans, was ropeable after she was timed out in her third attempt.
"So there wasn't a clock or a time piece to look at to see the time we had left during our attempts so in my third attempt I wasn't aware that my time had started or that I was 10 minutes down when I went back to get my grip ready.
"It was very disappointing because it was a really good comp and I was jumping very well and thought I had big height on me today."
Parnov had three minutes to prepare for each consecutive jumps. She had a two-minute call then a one minute reminder but she failed to start her jump before the three minutes had expired.
As incensed as she was, the 24-year-old took it on her chin and chastised herself for her lack of diligence and awareness.
"It is what it is so I've just got to move on."
Parnov, who is under the tutelage of Ukrainian-born father Alex, caught the Hastings bug as well and intends to return to the classic.
"It's a beautiful place, great weather and everyone's really friendly and helpful so I've really had a nice day."
The Russian-born pole vaulter, in her first trip to New Zealand, said the next time she would like to come for a longer duration in the hope of competing in more meets.
Parnov also relished competing against McCartney.
"She broke a pole in her warm up and that rattled her a little bit and yet she comes out and jumps 4.70 so she's just an amazing athlete who brought the crowd around. She's a great role model for our sport."
Her stable mate, Declan Carruthers, 20, collected silver behind winner Tobias Scherbath, of Germany, who scaled 5.65m, in the senior men's pole-vault event.
The 2014 Australia Youth Olympian vaulted to 5.55m.
James Steyn, 18, of North Harbour Bays, was third at 4.65m.
OPINION: Sport, with its fine margins such as this, can be beautiful and brutal.