World Champ Barber Wins PV In Belgium, But Still Struggling

BELGIUM – World champion Shawnacy Barber cleared 5.60m to win the men’s pole vault competition at the EAA Premium Meeting Liege in Belgium on Wednesday.

Despite the win, however, Barber, who is tuning up for the Rio Olympic Games next month, has struggled to put together a consistent run this season and was a bit frustrated at being able to clear the higher heights.

The Canadian champion entered the competition at 5.35m and took two tries to clear both his opening height and the one that followed, at 5.50m.

Barber needed three attempts to clear 5.60m before missing all three of his tries at 5.70m.

The 27-year-old was consistent with his series during the indoor term where he cleared an Area Record of 6.00m and had marks of 5.91m, 5.89m, 5.88m and twice clearing 5.77m.

But things haven’t been as steady in the outdoor campaign for Barber, but he remains confident about adding the Olympic Games title to his IAAF World Championships crown from Beijing 2015.

Also on the EAA Premium Meeting Liege on Wednesday, Trinidad and Tobago’s Keston Bledman clocked 10.26 seconds to win the men’s 100m, while Omar Cisneros of Cuba posted a time of 49.66 secs to win the men’s 400m hurdles.

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Meanwhile, at 27th Meeting internazionale di atletica leggera Sport Solidarietà, also on Wednesday, Jamaica’s world 400m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson, African championships 800m silver medallist Jacob Rozani and Jamaican national 100m hurdles champion Megan Simmonds were among the list of winners.

Jackson took the top podium place in the women’s one-lap event after running a time of 51.82 seconds.

Fellow Caribbean representative Renny Quow of Trinidad and Tobago topped the men’s field with a time of 45.54.

In the men’s 800m, Rozani ran 1:45.42 to take first place ahead of Burundi’s 2016 World Indoor silver medalist Antoine Gakeme (1:45.59).

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Rio bound Simmonds clocked 13.14 – running into a very strong -2.2m/s headwind for victory.

In other results, Jamaica’s Christania Williams won the women’s 100m in 11.30 (-0.4m/s), USA’s Kendra Chambers finished with a personal best time of 2:00.76 to take the women’s 800m.

Mario Lambrughi of Italy also produced a personal best when winning the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.35.