Pole Vault

Two-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva was eliminated from the pole vault competition at the world championships after clearing only one height. The Russian cleared her first vault of 15 feet, 3 inches, but failed at 15-7 and twice at 15-9 to finish in sixth place. Isinbayeva had been a huge favorite heading into the 2009 world championships in Berlin, but she failed to defend her title after no-heighting in the final.

PEABODY - With his team up by the slimmest of margins on the last event of the day, Alex Mundo threw his javelin through the incoming wind, landing it 149 feet from its start point to give Weston second place in the event and first place in the MTSCA Division 4 Relays at Bishop Fenwick on Saturday. "I knew it was a really close meet and I thought that I had to put a lot into it," said Mundo of his personal-best throw, "I tried to get past [the wind], tried to put my head in the game, and I just launched one. " Norton came on strong over the final field events and knew that...

Trey Hardee successfully defended his world decathlon title Sunday, winning the gold ahead of Ashton Eaton to give the U.S. its first 1-2 finish in the event at the world championships. Hardee, the world indoor and outdoor champion, solidified the lead he had taken earlier in the day with a javelin throw of 226 feet, 4 inches, a personal best. He finished ninth in the 1,500 meters but his lead was big enough to claim gold with 8,607 points. "I thought it would take a couple of throws to get it up to 69," Hardee said.

GIRLS' TRACK Grace Ashworth, Lowell: The junior took a sixth-place finish in the pole vault (9 feet, 6 inches) at the MIAA All-State meet last June. Catarina Rocha, Peabody: The reigning MIAA All-State champion in the 2-mile, the junior was the Division 1 state cross-country champion last fall and the All-State mile champ indoors this winter. Holly Sullivan, Ipswich: As a freshman last spring, she soared to a fifth-place finish in the long jump (17 feet, 9.25 inches)

GIRLS' TRACK Grace Ashworth, Lowell: The junior took a sixth-place finish in the pole vault (9 feet, 6 inches) at the MIAA All-State meet last June. Catarina Rocha, Peabody: The reigning MIAA All-State champion in the 2-mile, the junior was the Division 1 state cross-country champion last fall and the All-State mile champ indoors this winter. Holly Sullivan, Ipswich: As a freshman last spring, she soared to a fifth-place finish in the long jump (17 feet, 9.25 inches)

As the reigning world champion in the decathlon, Trey Hardee should figure as the big favorite at the London Olympics. He would be if it weren't for a pinkish, 5-inch scar that curves around his right elbow. Hardee had reconstructive surgery last September to repair a ligament he blew out while throwing the javelin at the World Championships last summer. The injury occurred on his final throw, a personal best that locked up his second straight world decathlon title. Now Hardee is pushing the elbow through an accelerated rehabilitation process aimed at competing in the U.S....

CARSON, Calif. -- Stacy Dragila hopes her days of limping down the runway are over. Nearly a year after right Achilles surgery, the pioneer of the women's pole vault is in the early stages of a comeback. Her goal is the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I've been oiling my joints pretty good, so there's no rust," she said, laughing. At 36, Dragila remains the biggest American name in the pole vault, having propelled the event to new heights when few women dared even to try it. She cemented her reputation by winning the first Olympic gold medal in the event at the 2000 Sydney...

PEABODY - With his team up by the slimmest of margins on the last event of the day, Alex Mundo threw his javelin through the incoming wind, landing it 149 feet from its start point to give Weston second place in the event and first place in the MTSCA Division 4 Relays at Bishop Fenwick on Saturday. "I knew it was a really close meet and I thought that I had to put a lot into it," said Mundo of his personal-best throw, "I tried to get past [the wind], tried to put my head in the game, and I just launched one. " Norton came on strong over the final...

OSAKA, Japan -- The kid salvaged an otherwise tough night for the United States at Nagai Stadium. Kerron Clement powered his way to victory in the 400-meter hurdles last night to give the Americans an eighth medal, and third gold, in the first four days of the world track and field championships. It wasn't pretty. No one will compare Clement with Edwin Moses in terms of style, but boy, does he have the raw talent to dominate a race. He stutter-stepped before the last two hurdles and still won going away.

NEW YORK -- Nineteen months after giving birth to a daughter, 40-year-old Gail Devers won the hurdles against a stellar field last night at the 100th Millrose Games. Devers, who has not raced much competitively in the last two years, edged 2004 Olympic champion Joanna Hayes to win the 60-meter event. Also in the field: Danielle Carruthers and former world champion Perdita Felicien. Former 100-meter world record-holder Maurice Greene, who took off last year to deal with injuries, lasted only about 25 meters in the 60 before falling.

As the reigning world champion in the decathlon, Trey Hardee should figure as the big favorite at the London Olympics. He would be if it weren't for a pinkish, 5-inch scar that curves around his right elbow. Hardee had reconstructive surgery last September to repair a ligament he blew out while throwing the javelin at the World Championships last summer. The injury occurred on his final throw, a personal best that locked up his second straight world decathlon title. Now Hardee is pushing the elbow through an accelerated rehabilitation process aimed at competing in the U.S....

Kathy Bailey has said little about any of it to anyone but family and friends for 10 years, not because the talking point is always about her husband and her loss, but because the conversation is too often about where people believe Ace Bailey's story ended, rather than how it continues. Overwhelming, unspeakable grief has a way of freezing the clock, forever framing the discussion, keeping even the survivors connected to a tragedy in a place they care not to dwell but often have no clue how to escape.

Two-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva was eliminated from the pole vault competition at the world championships after clearing only one height. The Russian cleared her first vault of 15 feet, 3 inches, but failed at 15-7 and twice at 15-9 to finish in sixth place. Isinbayeva had been a huge favorite heading into the 2009 world championships in Berlin, but she failed to defend her title after no-heighting in the final.

It was after an early exit at the 2003 Australian Open junior tournament that the younger, tennis-playing Sergei Bubka truly understood what a big deal the older, pole-vaulting Sergei Bubka — his father — is. "I was 15. I lost in the first round. And there was a really big press conference. … We had to move to the main interview room," he said. "It was all because of my father. " The 24-year-old Bubka, who bears a strong resemblance to Dad, won his Grand Slam main-draw debut Tuesday at the U.S. Open by beating Austria's Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. He...

Trey Hardee successfully defended his world decathlon title Sunday, winning the gold ahead of Ashton Eaton to give the U.S. its first 1-2 finish in the event at the world championships. Hardee, the world indoor and outdoor champion, solidified the lead he had taken earlier in the day with a javelin throw of 226 feet, 4 inches, a personal best. He finished ninth in the 1,500 meters but his lead was big enough to claim gold with 8,607 points. "I thought it would take a couple of throws to get it up to 69," Hardee said.

EUGENE, Ore. - If only they were all this easy. LaShawn Merritt and Sanya Richards made their 400-meter races look like strolls around the track yesterday, each cruising to titles at the US championships. With no Jeremy Wariner in the field, Merritt was missing his only real rival and quickly pulled away from the field. The Olympic gold medalist, who beat Wariner in Beijing, won in 44.50 seconds, tying his world-best time for 2009. Now that’s a birthday present. Merritt turned 23 yesterday, but doesn’t plan to celebrate until returning home to Virginia.

Olympians Shawn Crawford and Lauryn Williams did their best to keep Team USA perfect at the Penn Relays. But the B-team failed to keep the Americans undefeated. This year, it was an all-star team in the men's distance medley relay that denied the Americans their first sweep in three years in the "USA vs. the World" races yesterday at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Still, Team USA won the five other events in the 113th running of the renowned relay carnival, leaving it with a 15-3 mark over the last three years.

Kathy Bailey has said little about any of it to anyone but family and friends for 10 years, not because the talking point is always about her husband and her loss, but because the conversation is too often about where people believe Ace Bailey's story ended, rather than how it continues. Overwhelming, unspeakable grief has a way of freezing the clock, forever framing the discussion, keeping even the survivors connected to a tragedy in a place they care not to dwell but often have no clue how to escape.

OSAKA, Japan -- The kid salvaged an otherwise tough night for the United States at Nagai Stadium. Kerron Clement powered his way to victory in the 400-meter hurdles last night to give the Americans an eighth medal, and third gold, in the first four days of the world track and field championships. It wasn't pretty. No one will compare Clement with Edwin Moses in terms of style, but boy, does he have the raw talent to dominate a race. He stutter-stepped before the last two hurdles and still won going away.

CARSON, Calif. -- Stacy Dragila hopes her days of limping down the runway are over. Nearly a year after right Achilles surgery, the pioneer of the women's pole vault is in the early stages of a comeback. Her goal is the 2008 Beijing Olympics. "I've been oiling my joints pretty good, so there's no rust," she said, laughing. At 36, Dragila remains the biggest American name in the pole vault, having propelled the event to new heights when few women dared even to try it. She cemented her reputation by winning the first Olympic gold medal in the event at the 2000 Sydney...