McCartney Soars To A 4.85m Performance In Luxembourg

Eliza McCartney stepped up her preparations for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in style today by nailing 4.85m - the joint-third best clearance of her career - to win in Schifflange, Luxembourg.

For the 26-year-old vaulter it was her best height since the 2019 Potts Classic in Hastings four-and-a-half years ago and it also propelled her to number two on the World Lists for 2023 behind World and Olympic champion Katie Moon of the USA.

After several years of injury struggles, McCartney is returning to her very best form in 2023. The Auckland-based vaulter claimed the New Zealand title in Wellington in March and cleared 4.75m at the Australian Championships.

She has continued to impress during her European stint and will be hugely encouraged by adding 10cm on to her season’s best at the CAS International Meeting in Luxembourg. The Kiwi required two clearances at her opening height at 4.43m today before advancing beyond 4.63m at the second time of asking. She needed all three vaults to equal her season’s best mark of 4.75m before she successfully soared clear with her second attempt at 4.85m to set a Meet Record.

Huiquin Xu of China placed second (4.33m) with Kiwi and 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris third (4.23m.)

McCartney’s PB and Oceania record mark of 4.94m was set in Jockgrim, Germany in 2018. The 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest take place from August 19-27.

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