Kondo aims high in pole vaulting event
JAKARTA (JP): To continually reach the height of competitions is the unproved ambition of women's pole vaulter Takayo Kondo of Japan.
After winning her maiden international gold medal in the 13th Asian Track and Field Championships in Jakarta on Tuesday, the 24-year-old athlete is setting her sights on triumphing in the discipline in the 2002 Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea, and every other event she enters.
Despite her victory here, Kondo was far from satisfied with her mark, which equaled the old record of 4.00 meters set by Peng Xiaoming of China in the last championships, in July 1998.
"I'm happy with the result as I managed to equal the old record and also won the gold medal. This is my first gold. But the result is below my best of 4.10 meters which I created in the China Open in May 1999," she said.
After clearing the 4.00-meter bar, Kondo decided to skip a trial for 4.05m and insisted on jumping over 4.10m. She came closer to a new record in her final attempt when she jumped the bar, but unfortunately her right leg hit it.
With only one month of preparations for the championships, Kondo proved she was no longer the second string pole vaulter in her country. Japanese ace pole vaulter Masumi Ono failed to perform her best here as she only managed to leap 3.80, 0.40 meters below her best of 4.20.
"By winning the championships, I can show that we are in the same league and stand an equal chance," said Kondo, who was born in Shiga on Nov. 17, 1975.
The former physical education student at Waseda University in Tokyo first took up the discipline two years ago but she only began training intensively last year.
"I found pole vaulting more interesting as it always makes me want to try to jump higher and higher."
Kondo, who works for a track and field equipment producer, started her career in track and field as a long jumper. Her best record was just 5.35 meters.
"I'm not good in the long jump. I'm just average," she said. Japan's best national record is 6.61, held by Maho Hanaoka. (yan)