Vaulter Boyd only 9th at indoors

Monday, 12 March 2012:

Alana Boyd admitted she blew a great opportunity after finishing a disappointing ninth in the women's pole vault at the world indoor athletics championships.

Boyd arrived in the best form of her life, having cleared an Australian record height of 4.76m last month in Perth.

But she never looked comfortable in Istanbul and could do no better than 4.55m as Russian great Yelena Isinbayeva claimed gold with 4.80m.

"I don't know what happened. It's not reflective of the way I've been jumping," said Boyd, competing at her first indoor meet.

"I was getting things on third attempts.

"There is no wind to worry about. You go when you're ready so I just don't know."

The Perth-based Queenslander entered the competition with a first-time clearance at 4.30m before needing three attempts at 4.45m.

She went on to clear 4.55m on her second attempt but bowed at 4.65m.

"I should have been able to mix it with those girls and I basically blew it," said Boyd.

France's Vanessa Boslak and Britain's Holly Bleasdale won the minor medals with clearances at 4.70m as the peerless Isinbayeva dominated once again.

Fresh from a new world indoor record of 5.01m in Stockholm in February, the Russian soared over 4.80m before ending the night with three failures at 5.02m to capture her fourth world indoor title.

Victorian Craig Mottram was confident of his chances in the final of the 3000m after a spirited run in the heats where he surged to the front in the final kilometre to qualify second fastest for the title race.

But he trailed home 11th in the final in seven minutes 48.23 seconds behind American gold medallist Bernard Lagat (7:41.44).

"On Friday I felt really really good. But after two competitions in six days I was tired.

The Melbourne 5k was important to me and I ran hard there," said Mottram referring to the Olympic trials race he won last week to secure a berth in his fourth Olympic team.

"I'll head to Europe in July. I don't want to be there too long. I'm too old and I want to stay excited."

American Brittney Reese defended her world indoor title in spectacular style becoming the third longest jumper ever with a championship record leap of 7.23m in the final round.

Dual Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown from Jamaica defended her 60m indoor title in a time of 7.01.

Australia ended the three-day titles with two medals - gold to Sally Pearson in the 60m hurdles and silver to Henry Frayne in the men's long jump.

AAP