Emma Green Takes High Jump National Title at Swedish Indoor Track Championships

Sweden's Emma Green won her first national high jump title on Saturday in Malmö, jumping 1,98m for the sixth-best mark in the world this season.

Green improved her personal best indoors by two centimetres, and jumped one centimetre higher than her lifetime best of 1,97m set at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, where she took home the bronze medal.

Green spoke with Swedish newspaper reporter Svenska Dagbladet following her victory, stating that she had been stable at just about the 1,90m—and a bit higher—so her winning mark on Saturday was finally worth the wait.

"I've now taken a step toward higher heights," she said.

Green had a great third-attempt at 2,00m. With a few minor adjustments and another day such as this, where she is beaming with confidence, Green may break through that dream barrier.

Green's competition had bowed out by the time Green entered the competition at 1,83m—a height Green cleared on her first attempt. She continued first-attempt clearances through to her season's best height of 1,95m.

Green's first attempt at her new personal best was marginally good, but she found the bar on her second and cleared her lifetime best. She then had the bar raised to 2,00m, where she missed on her three attempts—including running under the bar on the first.

"This is the second time I've jumped at this height. It definitely felt that it is there and possible that I can clear it. Two metres is a dream barrier that one wants to clear—a big goal. It is perhaps a mental block, but also an inspirational goal."

Croat Blanka Vlasic, who has a 20-meet win-streak and who has cleared 2,00m 27 times in her career, has the highest mark in the world this season at 2,04m.

Vlasic has jumped injured the past two meets, however, and her participation in next month's IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, is not a clear certainty.

Green's exposure to the magical barrier puts behind her a tumultuous past two seasons in which the 23-year-old, who is trained by her live-in boyfriend Yannick Tregaro, went from an immediate star to an athlete who appeared to have lost her confidence against the best in the world.

Green placed a surprising third in the world outdoor championships three years ago, knocking Russia's Anna Chicherova, who'd won the European Indoor title earlier that spring, into fourth.

Green was spared the limelight when Kajsa Bergqvist, returning from a nasty achilles injury, not only won the competition at 2,02m, but made three attempts at bettering Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova's world outdoor record of 2,09m in the process.

Green was thrust partly into the spotlight, but needed time to mature both on and off the field—something she readily admits she has been able to accomplish over the past two seasons.

"I feel as though I have matured as a high jumper and as a person. I have been more secure with everything around me which has nothing to do with the athletics field. I can now handle situations much better without them taking energy."

Green hopes to save her energy as she heads to Valencia in two weeks' time.

"My goal is to jump as high as possible," she said.

"Then we'll need to see how far it goes. It will take heights in excess of two metres to take a medal—absolutely. But everyone who is there has a chance, and I feel as though I haven't gotten out what I have inside of myself."

"She has the physical capability to go higher than this," Tregaro stated to Göteborgs-Posten.

Swedish Indoor Championships, Malmö

2008-February-23

Full Results here

Select Results:

K Höjdhopp Final lördag

Plac	Namn	Född	Förening/Land	Resultat
1	Emma Green	84	Örgryte IS	1,98
2	Frida Brolin	85	Råby-Rekarne FI	1,83
3	Jenny Isgren	81	Spårvägens FK	1,83
4	Angelica Johansson	83	Örgryte IS	1,80
5	Victoria Dronsfield	91	IF Göta	1,77
5	Anna Alexson	87	Spårvägens FK	1,77
7	Sofia Kask	89	IFK Lund	1,74
8	Helena Redborg	83	Turebergs FK	1,74
9	Sandra Asplund	85	IFK Umeå	1,74
10	Ellinore Hallin	87	IFK Växjö	1,70
10	Emma Ekdahl	89	IFK Lund	1,70
12	Sandra Liljegren	91	Vittsjö GIK	1,65
13	Karin Rydh	85	Malmö AI	1,65

Foto credit: Emil Malmborg