• Indoor Grand Prix

Johnson-Thompson sets new British high jump record

ESPN staff
February 8, 2014
Katarina Johnson-Thompson made a new personal best at 1.90 metres before jumping further clear for a new record © Getty Images
Enlarge

Katarina Johnson-Thompson set a new British high jump record with a height of 1.96 metres at the British Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

Johnson-Thompson was crowned British indoor champion at the National Indoor Arena and the height also earned her a new personal best. The record had previously been held by Debbie Marti since 1997.

The 21-year-old first broke her personal best at 1.90m before narrowly failing 1.92m on her first attempt. However, the crowd soon erupted as Johnson-Thompson cleared the bar on her second attempt.

She was now gunning for the record as both Jayne Nisbet and Isobel Pooley both failed their respective attempts at 1.90m, giving Johnson-Thompson the win.

However, Johnson-Thompson - the European Athletics Under-23 heptathlon champion - went further clear to cement victory with the new record.

"It's a proud moment. I can't believe it," Johnson-Thompson told BBC Sport. "I knew I was in good form because I had a good session in Loughborough last week and had a really good high jump session.

"I've been working on things mentally because last year and the year before I knew I had a good jump in me but it's just me against the bar.

"With the high jump it's a height that you can see and you've got to clear it and that's a lot harder than the long jump where you can just run down the runway. My coach Mike Holmes and I have been working on it mentally to try and get myself to overcome it."

Elsewhere, JJ Jegede jumped 7.85m to win the final of the long jump, five centimetres ahead of Dan Bramble who jumped a personal best of 7.80m.

Andrew Pozzi ran a season best time of 7.64 seconds to claim the men's 60m hurdles title while Asha Philip won the women's 60m final in 7.09 seconds.

James Dasaolu meanwhile edged out Dwain Chambers once again in the 60m final, winning with a time of 6.5s to set a season's best. Chambers' time of 6.53s was his best for the season as well.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
ESPN staff Close