The women's high jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

event at the 2009 World Championships

2009 World Championships in Athletics

The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....

 in Berlin, Germany was held between 18 August and 20 August 2009.

Reigning champion Blanka Vlašić

Blanka Vlašic

Blanka Vlašić is a Croatian athlete who specialises in the high jump. She is the current Croatian record holder in the event, and also the current indoorWorld Champion. The daughter of Croatian decathlon record holder Joško Vlašić, she was a talented junior athlete and attended her first Olympic...

 had spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons largely unbeaten, but high profile losses in the Olympic high jump final and the 2008 IAAF Golden League

2008 IAAF Golden League

The 2008 Golden League was the 11th edition of the IAAF's annual series of six athletics meets, held across Europe, with athletes having the chance to win the Golden League Jackpot of $1 million.-Programme:- Men :- Women :...

 final spelled the end for her lengthy winning streak. The rise of Germany's

Germany at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics

Germany will compete at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August as the host nation. A team of 92 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition, but current women's Marathon world leader Irina Mikitenko and hurdler Thomas Goller withdrew from the Championships....

 Ariane Friedrich

Ariane Friedrich

Ariane Friedrich, born Tempel is a German high jumper. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships and represented Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics...

 in the 2009 season had seen her take the European Indoor title and make the world-leading jump of 2.06 m. Having beaten Vlašić in three of their five meetings that season, she was one of Germany's best prospects for a gold medal on home turf. Outside of the two top high jumpers, Antonietta Di Martino

Antonietta Di Martino

Antonietta Di Martino is an Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres outdoor and 2,04 metres indoor.-Career:...

 and Ruth Beitia

Ruth Beitia

Ruth Beitia Vila is a high jumper from Spain.With 2.01 metres indoor and 2.02 metres outdoor she holds the current Spanish records.-Achievements:-References:*-External links:...

 had also performed well that season and 2004 Olympic

2004 Summer Olympics

The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...

 gold medallist Yelena Slesarenko

Yelena Slesarenko

-2004:Largely unknown before 2004, she kickstarted the season by clearing 2.04 metres and winning the World Indoor Championships. When the outdoor season started she won the SPAR European Cup with the same result, improving her personal best from 1.97...

 was another strong contender.

Vlašić had an unexpected setback before the qualifiers, suffering a deep gash in her head after hitting a doorway, but after receiving stitches she arrived at the stadium in time for the competition. All the expected finalists made their way through the qualification rounds. All but three of the twelve finalists managed the 1.95 m automatic qualifying mark, with Meike Kröger

Meike Kröger

Meike Kröger is a German track and field athlete who specialises in the high jump.-Early career:She had her first success in the sport with wins at the German Junior Championships in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008 she also won the bronze medal at the German Championships...

 being a surprise second finalist for the host nation through her best non-qualifying mark of 1.92 m. Although the event was largely portrayed as a head-to-head between Vlašić and Friedrich, Russian Anna Chicherova

Anna Chicherova

Anna Vladimirovna Chicherova is a Russian high jumper. She was the gold medalist at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won a bronze medal in the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics...

 proved to be a significant contender in the final.

Performing before a sold-out stadium, Di Martino and Beitia finished their competition with a best of 1.99 m, leaving Vlašić, Friedrich and Chicherova to compete for the medals. The Russian took the lead, managing 2.02 m on her first attempt, while the Croatian

Croatia at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics

Croatia competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from 15–23 August. A team of 5 athletes was announced in preparation for the competition. Selected athletes have achieved one of the competition's qualifying standards...

 and the German needed two and three jumps, respectively. Vlašić was the first over 2.04 m and Chicherova recorded three fouls, unable to pass the height. Friedrich, who was in third place, twice failed the height and raised the bar to 2.06 m to try to take the gold medal position. Her final effort, although close, was not enough and she finished with the bronze. Vlašić then raised the bar to the world record of 2.10 m, but failed to jump the height.

Friedrich did not repeat the form which had seen her set a national record

German records in athletics

The following are the national records in athletics in Germany maintained by its national athletics federation, Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband ....

 of 2.06 m at the Olympiastadion two months earlier, leaving Vlašić and Chicherova to repeat their gold and silver medal performances of the 2007 World Championships

2007 World Championships in Athletics

The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...

 in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

. Vlašić, who became the first to win consecutive world titles in the event since Hestrie Cloete

Hestrie Cloete

Hestrie Cloete-Storbeck is a former, highly successful South African high jumper. Her foremost achievements were winning two world championships and two silver medals at Olympic Games.-Career:...

, said that she was surprised that 2.04 m had been enough for the gold medal and she expected to go much higher. Second-placed Chicherova said neither she, nor athletics commentators, had expected her to win the silver medal, but she had overcome prior injury concerns. Although gold had not materialised for Friedrich, she was happy with her bronze medal – her first at a World Championships.

Medalists

Gold
Silver
Bronze

Records

World record		2.09	Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	30 August 1987
Championship record		2.09	Rome, Italy	30 August 1987
World Leading		2.06	Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...	14 June 2009
African Record		2.06	Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	31 August 2003
Asian Record		1.99	Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....	13 July 2009
North American record		2.04	Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	9 September 1989
South American record		1.96	Oristano Oristano Oristano is a town and comune, capital of the Province of Oristano, on the island of Sardinia, Italy. It has approximately 32,500 inhabitants.Its economy is mainly based on fishing, agriculture and, to a certain extent, tourism.-History:... , Italy	8 September 1997
European Record		2.09	Rome, Italy	30 August 1987
Oceanian Record		1.98	Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	12 February 1989

Qualification standards

A standard	B standard
1.95 m	1.91 m

Schedule

Date	Time	Round
August 18, 2009	10:20	Qualification
August 20, 2009	19:10	Final

Qualification

Qualification: Qualifying Performance 1.95 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.

Rank	Group	Name	Nationality	1.80	1.85	1.89	1.92	1.95	Result	Notes
	A	Blanka Vlašić Blanka Vlašic Blanka Vlašić is a Croatian athlete who specialises in the high jump. She is the current Croatian record holder in the event, and also the current indoorWorld Champion. The daughter of Croatian decathlon record holder Joško Vlašić, she was a talented junior athlete and attended her first Olympic...
o	o	o	o	1.95	Q
	B	Ariane Friedrich Ariane Friedrich Ariane Friedrich, born Tempel is a German high jumper. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships and represented Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
o	1.95	Q
	B	Emma Green Emma Green Emma Anna-Maria Green Tregaro is an athlete competing in high jump. She won a bronze medal in the event at the 2005 IAAF World Championships. She represented Sweden at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
o
o	o	1.95	Q
	A	Chaunte Howard Chaunte Howard Chaunté Lowe is an American athlete, who competes in the high jump and participated in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She is the American record holder in the high jump with a height of 2.05 m.-Early career:...		o	o	xo	o	o	1.95	Q
	A	Ruth Beitia Ruth Beitia Ruth Beitia Vila is a high jumper from Spain.With 2.01 metres indoor and 2.02 metres outdoor she holds the current Spanish records.-Achievements:-References:*-External links:...
o	o	xo	o	1.95	Q
	B	Antonietta Di Martino Antonietta Di Martino Antonietta Di Martino is an Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres outdoor and 2,04 metres indoor.-Career:...		o	o	xo	o	o	1.95	Q
	B	Anna Chicherova Anna Chicherova Anna Vladimirovna Chicherova is a Russian high jumper. She was the gold medalist at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won a bronze medal in the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
o	o	xo	o	1.95	Q
	B	Amy Acuff Amy Acuff Amy Lyn Acuff is a track and field athlete from the United States. A high jump specialist, she competed in the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics as a member of USA Track and Field...		o	o	o	xxo	xo	1.95	Q, SB
	B	Yelena Slesarenko Yelena Slesarenko -2004:Largely unknown before 2004, she kickstarted the season by clearing 2.04 metres and winning the World Indoor Championships. When the outdoor season started she won the SPAR European Cup with the same result, improving her personal best from 1.97...
o	o	xxo	xxo	1.95	Q
10	A	Meike Kröger Meike Kröger Meike Kröger is a German track and field athlete who specialises in the high jump.-Early career:She had her first success in the sport with wins at the German Junior Championships in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008 she also won the bronze medal at the German Championships...		o	o	o	o	xxx	1.92	q
11	A	Svetlana Shkolina Svetlana Shkolina Svetlana Vladimirovna Shkolina is a Russian high jumper. Her personal best is 2.00 metres, achieved in February 2010 in Arnstadt-Early career:...		o	o	o	xo	xxx	1.92	q
11	A	Melanie Melfort		o	o	o	xo	xxx	1.92	q
13	A	Marina Aitova Marina Aitova Marina Aitova, née Korzhova is a Kazakhstani high jumper. Her personal best jump is 1.99 metres, achieved in July 2009 in Athens....		o	o	xo	xo	xxx	1.92
13	B	Adonía Steryíou Adonia Steryiou Antonia Stergiou is a female Greek high jumper. She is competing with the athletics club A.O. Kouros Patron, situated in Patras.She finished seventh at the 2004 World Junior Championships, won the silver medal at the 2007 European U23 Championships and the bronze medal at the 2009 Mediterranean...		xo	o	o	xo	xxx	1.92	SB
15	B	Venelina Veneva Venelina Veneva Venelina Veneva-Mateeva is a Bulgarian high jumper. Talented at a young age, she jumped 1.93 metres indoor in 1990 to record a world best performance by a 15-year-old. She did not improve this result outdoor until 1995...		o	xo	o	xxo	xxx	1.92
16	B	Kamila Stepaniuk		o	o	xxo	xxo	xxx	1.92
17	A	Anna Iljuštšenko Anna Iljuštšenko Anna Iljuštšenko is an Estonian high jumper.She finished ninth at the 2007 Summer Universiade with a jump of 1.80 metres...		o	o	o	xxx		1.89
17	A	Vita Palamar Vita Palamar Vita Palamar is a female high jumper from Ukraine. Her personal best jump is 2.01 metres, achieved in Zürich in August 2003. She set an indoor best of 1.96 m to win the Hochsprung mit Musik in 2001.-Achievements:-External links:...
o	o	xxx		1.89
17	A	Sharon Day		o	o	o	xxx		1.89
17	B	Petrina Price Petrina Price Petrina Price is an Australian high jumper.Price was born in Greenacre. She finished seventh at the 2000 World Junior Championships, won the silver medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships and the bronze medal at the 2002 World Junior Championships, and finished ninth at the 2006 Commonwealth...		o	o	o	xxx		1.89
21	A	Iva Straková		o	o	xo	xxx		1.89
21	A	Svetlana Radzivil Svetlana Radzivil Svetlana Radzivil is an Uzbekistani high jumper.She was born in Tashkent. She finished ninth at the 2003 World Youth Championships and thirteenth at the 2004 World Junior Championships. In 2006 she won the 2006 World Junior Championships, in a new personal best jump of 1.91 metres, and finished...		o	o	xo	xxx		1.89
21	B	Hanna Grobler Hanna Grobler Hanna Emilia Grobler is a Finnish high jumper.She competed at the World Championships in 2005 and in 2009 without reaching the final....		o	o	xo	xxx		1.89
24	A	Levern Spencer Levern Spencer Levern Donaline Spencer is a Saint Lucian high jumper.-Biography:Spencer was an All-American high jumper for the University of Georgia and 2008 Olympian for St Lucia, set a new facility record at the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Georgia on Saturday 8 May 2010, clearing 1.98m to cruise to a...
o	xxo	xxx		1.89
24	B	Nadiya Dusanova Nadiya Dusanova Nadiya Dusanova is a Uzbekistani high jumper.She competed at the 2008 Olympic Games without reaching the final.Her personal best jump is 1.98 metres, achieved in July 2008 in Tashkent. This was the Asian record, although she shared it with two athletes: Yekaterina Yevseyeva and Svetlana Radzivil...		o	o	xxo	xxx		1.89
26	A	Noengrothai Chaipetch Noengrothai Chaipetch Noengrothai Chaipetch is a female high jumper from Thailand. Her personal best jump is 1.92 metres, achieved in July 2008 in Ho Chi Minh City....		xxo	o	xxo	xxx		1.89	SB
27	B	Doreen Amata Doreen Amata Doreen Amata is a female track and field athlete from Nigeria. She specialised in the high jump event.Amata represented Nigeria at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing in 16th place in the overall-rankings. She claimed a gold medal for her native West African country at the 2007 All-Africa...		o	o	xxx			1.85
28	A	Caterine Ibargüen Caterine Ibargüen Caterine Ibargüen Mena is a Colombian athlete competing in high jump, long jump and triple jump....		o	xo	xxx			1.85
28	B	Stine Kufaas Stine Kufaas Stine Kufaas is a Norwegian high jumper. Her personal best jump is 1.93 metres, achieved in June 2010 at a national competition at Lillehammer. She has 1.92 metres on the indoor track, achieved in February 2010 in Eskilstuna...		o	xo	xxx			1.85
30	B	Yekaterina Yevseyeva Yekaterina Yevseyeva Yekaterina Yevseyeva is a Kazakh high jumper.She was born in Almaty. She won bronze medals at the 2005 World Youth Championships and the 2006 World Junior Championships...		xo	xo	xxx			1.85
31	A	Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan Deirdre Ryan is an Irish high jumper.She finished thirteenth at the 2006 European Championships. She also competed at the 1999 World Youth Championships, the 2002 European Indoor Championships, the 2007 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 European Indoor Championships, the 2009 World...		o	xxo	xxx			1.85
32	A	Romary Rifka Romary Rifka María Romary Rifka González is a female Mexican high jumper. She is married to track & field athlete, Alejandro Cárdenas. Her personal best jump is 1.97 metres, achieved in April 2004 in Xalapa. This is the current Mexican record.-Achievements:-References:...		o	xxx				1.80

} || B ||align=left| Bui Thi Nhung

Bui Thi Nhung

Bui Thi Nhung is a Vietnamese high jumper. Her personal best jump is 1.94 metres, achieved in June 2005 in Bangkok.She won the gold medal at the 2003 Asian Championships, and finished fourth at the 2006 Asian Games. She also competed at the 2004 Olympic Games without reaching the...

 ||align=left| ||xxx || || || || || ||
|}

Key: Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best

Final

Rank	Name	Nationality	1.87	1.92	1.96	1.99	2.02	2.04	2.06	2.10	Result	Notes
	Blanka Vlašić Blanka Vlašic Blanka Vlašić is a Croatian athlete who specialises in the high jump. She is the current Croatian record holder in the event, and also the current indoorWorld Champion. The daughter of Croatian decathlon record holder Joško Vlašić, she was a talented junior athlete and attended her first Olympic...		o	o	o	o	xo	xo	-	xxx	2.04
	Anna Chicherova Anna Chicherova Anna Vladimirovna Chicherova is a Russian high jumper. She was the gold medalist at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics and won a bronze medal in the event at the 2008 Summer Olympics...		o	o	xo	o	o	xxx			2.02	SB
	Ariane Friedrich Ariane Friedrich Ariane Friedrich, born Tempel is a German high jumper. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships and represented Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics...		-	o	-	o	xxo	xx-	x		2.02
	Antonietta Di Martino Antonietta Di Martino Antonietta Di Martino is an Italian high jumper. She currently holds the Italian national women's high jump record at 2.03 metres outdoor and 2,04 metres indoor.-Career:...		o	o	xo	xo	xxx				1.99
	Ruth Beitia Ruth Beitia Ruth Beitia Vila is a high jumper from Spain.With 2.01 metres indoor and 2.02 metres outdoor she holds the current Spanish records.-Achievements:-References:*-External links:...		o	o	o	xxo	xxx				1.99
	Svetlana Shkolina Svetlana Shkolina Svetlana Vladimirovna Shkolina is a Russian high jumper. Her personal best is 2.00 metres, achieved in February 2010 in Arnstadt-Early career:...		o	o	o	xxx					1.96
	Emma Green Emma Green Emma Anna-Maria Green Tregaro is an athlete competing in high jump. She won a bronze medal in the event at the 2005 IAAF World Championships. She represented Sweden at the 2008 Summer Olympics...		o	o	xo	xxx					1.96	SB
	Chaunte Howard Chaunte Howard Chaunté Lowe is an American athlete, who competes in the high jump and participated in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. She is the American record holder in the high jump with a height of 2.05 m.-Early career:...		o	o	xo	xxx					1.96
	Melanie Melfort		xo	o	xxx						1.92
10	Yelena Slesarenko Yelena Slesarenko -2004:Largely unknown before 2004, she kickstarted the season by clearing 2.04 metres and winning the World Indoor Championships. When the outdoor season started she won the SPAR European Cup with the same result, improving her personal best from 1.97...		o	xxo	xxx						1.92
11	Meike Kröger Meike Kröger Meike Kröger is a German track and field athlete who specialises in the high jump.-Early career:She had her first success in the sport with wins at the German Junior Championships in both 2007 and 2008. In 2008 she also won the bronze medal at the German Championships...		o	xxx							1.87
12	Amy Acuff Amy Acuff Amy Lyn Acuff is a track and field athlete from the United States. A high jump specialist, she competed in the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympics as a member of USA Track and Field...		xxo	xxx							1.87