Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney. Photograph by Michael Craig.
New Zealand pole vault star Eliza McCartney broke the world junior record at Mt Smart in Auckland on Saturday, on her last possible opportunity.
The North Harbour Bays athlete from Takapuna cleared 4.64m on the third attempt at the Auckland Summer Series 7 meeting to add one centimetre to the
previous record held by Swede Angelica Bengtsson.
McCartney will turn 20 in December next year, so will not be eligible to set a World under-20 record after December 31.
However, it was not without drama, as she needed all three attempts at both 4.40m and the record setting height.
The gusty conditions made it difficult, but the 2014 world junior championships bronze medallist and 2015 world university games silver medallist managed the wind to her advantage to break the four-year-old record.
