– It’s a bit surreal really. I felt that I entered a competition where it was difficult to top what was last, Retzius says to news after Saturday’s achievement. The pole vault of 4.70 meters is her third Norwegian record for the year, and the athlete from Moelv has improved by 19 centimeters in one year. Olympic downturn: A lot has happened since Lene Retzius was nowhere near qualifying for the final in Tokyo in 2021. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB – It’s great fun to take the claim and jump 4.70 for the first time and to be up there with the best, says the 26-year-old in what she herself describes as an intoxication of joy. The jump sends Retzius to a shared third place in the world and to the top in Europe. Finally, the World Cup requirement was also passed. But whether there will be a trip “across the pond” is highly uncertain. – Valuable for Norwegian viewers Step by step. There are three words that the pole vaulter says several times. Today, today’s result is the most important. Important talks with coaches and federations now await. – What’s a little thing is that I have had the European Championships as my main goal this season. Traveling across the pond … I have to see what I do, says Retzius. – I want to consult with unions and everything first. I want to talk to a coach, but I have managed the qualification requirement, I have, she says. news’s athletics expert understands that Lene Retzius has a difficult assessment. Photo: Anders SKjerdingstad / news news’s athletics expert, Christina Vukicevic Demidov, has himself been an athlete and recognizes himself in the assessments that Retzius now has to make. – We who travel down would like to have Lene in place in a World Cup. It is valuable for Norwegian viewers to see a Norwegian pole vaulter among the world elite in pole vault for women. But: – There is of course a long break in July with time differences. It has something to say for the season afterwards, ie in August. Then it is asked how to weight and how you have planned the season from before, says Vukicevic. – Obviously something that has happened Retzius was in his first World Cup in 2019 in Doha. There she failed to reach the final. An ordinary TV viewer may think that the World Cup is among athletes’ biggest dream. But in a season with the World Cup in July and the European Championships in August, one has to make difficult assessments. Something that Retzius might not have included in the calculation when the season was to be planned, was an extreme jump from 4.51 last year to 4.70 this year. HIGH FLOOD: No former Norwegian female jumper is near Retzius in pole vault. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB – There is obviously something that has happened here that she must decide on that they may not have thought about coming. Lene Retzius is now in a different position to consider a possible World Cup coming this July. With third place in the world rankings this year, there is at least little doubt that she has something to do in a World Cup. She herself mainly wants to enjoy her new record. – I enjoy myself and enjoy the day and will just try to jump higher and higher, says an optimistic Retzius.
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Retzius secured World Cup place – considering staying home – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule
