– Insane! It has been a goal to go over six meters since I was little and knew what the pole vault was, says Sondre Guttormsen to news, less than an hour after the adventurous jump that smashed the old Norwegian record of 5.86 meters. On Saturday night, he secured a place in the history books while claiming his third straight victory in the US College Championship. That despite a less than ideal charging. In the last week, he has turned time back and forth between American and Turkish time, after he became European indoor champion in Istanbul just a week ago. SIX METERS: Sondre Guttormsen cleared the mark at 6.00 metres. Photo: Kirby Lee / Reuters When asked how he has handled the transition, he grins. – Honest. I do not know. It was a bit of a gamble, but I had thoughts that the EC was important this year since I have won the NCAA twice before. I thought that there were enough days of rest and that it was good. I coped well with jet lag and took care of my body, says Guttormsen, who describes an intense duel in pursuit of the record. Took a big risk The American Zach Bradford challenged the Norwegian for a long time in the fight for the title. Because the list was already moved five by five centimeters from 5.41, it became a long and nail-biting affair where they alternated between having the lead in the competition. When Bradford and Guttormsen went over 5.91, the Norwegian took a chance. In the stands, little brother Simen, who is also a talented pole vaulter, picked up the phone. They called dad and trainer Atle Guttormsen’s home. Together they agreed to drop the next height. – I don’t think that many people would have done it. You want to win with the lowest possible result, so move on to another height, says Guttormsen, who explains the choice as follows: – The goal was six meters today and I didn’t think he would manage 96, so I took a chance. Then I sit down and rest and bet he won’t make it. I still think I would have made it if he had skipped, smiles the 23-year-old. Pushing the limits all the time Dad Atle Guttormsen sat awake through the night to follow the competition. He says that his son jumped far better technically in the NCAA final than during the EC in Istanbul. Combined with favorable conditions, 1,600 meters above sea level, it contributed to the jump. However, he does not think six meters will be a matter of habit just yet. – No, you can’t expect that. But you can expect more frequent 5.90 results, says Guttormsen. World record holder Armand Duplantis (6.22) and Christopher Nilsen (6.00) were the only ones to jump over six meters outdoors last season. Guttormsen and Pål Haugen Lillefosse were in joint 9th place in the 2022 statistics with the Norwegian record jumps of 5.86 metres. Sondre Guttormsen jumped 5.80 in 2019, then moved the bar up to 5.81 in 2021. Last year it went up to 5.86 – before it now moved up to six metres. The pole vault does not differentiate between outdoor and indoor results when it comes to records. The past year has been historically good in the context of Norwegian pole vaulting. Pål Haugen Lillefosse, Simen Guttormsen and Sondre Guttormsen represented Norway in the WC in Eugene. PUSHING EACH OTHER: Simen Guttormsen (from left), Pål Haugen Lillefosse and Sondre Guttormsen. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB Lillefosse and Sondre Guttormsen have alternated between swinging and setting new Norwegian records. The former took EC bronze in Munich, before Guttormsen followed up with 2nd place in the Diamond League final – and now EC gold indoors and six metres.
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Jumped over six meters in the pole vault – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
