Green flies high to grab last gasp Swedish medal
Swedish high-jumper Emma Green showed that there is life in Swedish athletics by beating her personal best to clinch a silver medal at the European Championships in Barcelona on Sunday.
Green, long understudy to former world champion Kajsa Bergqvist, first leapt to prominence when she claimed a world bronze in Helsinki five years ago, but her development since then has been inconsistent.
On Sunday in the high summer heat of of the Catalonian capital it finally all came together for the 25-year-old from Gothenburg who sailed over two metres for the first time to claim Sweden's only medal of a largely disappointing championships.
"I have been feeling that I could jump really high. Nice that it worked now - in the end," Green said after her silver medal had been confirmed.
Green broke her personal best twice in the tournament, clearing 1.99 at the last attempt to stay in touch with hot favourite Blanka Vlasic of Croatia and Germany's Ariane Friedrich.
When the Swede squeezed over 2.01 at the second attempt she left Friedrich needing to clear 2.03 to shift her into the bronze medal position, a step which proved too much for the German.
Vlasic once again established her dominance of the event with a clearance at the second attempt at 2.03.
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Green, long understudy to former world champion Kajsa Bergqvist, first leapt to prominence when she claimed a world bronze in Helsinki five years ago, but her development since then has been inconsistent.
On Sunday in the high summer heat of of the Catalonian capital it finally all came together for the 25-year-old from Gothenburg who sailed over two metres for the first time to claim Sweden's only medal of a largely disappointing championships.
"I have been feeling that I could jump really high. Nice that it worked now - in the end," Green said after her silver medal had been confirmed.
Green broke her personal best twice in the tournament, clearing 1.99 at the last attempt to stay in touch with hot favourite Blanka Vlasic of Croatia and Germany's Ariane Friedrich.
When the Swede squeezed over 2.01 at the second attempt she left Friedrich needing to clear 2.03 to shift her into the bronze medal position, a step which proved too much for the German.
Vlasic once again established her dominance of the event with a clearance at the second attempt at 2.03.
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