Štefela Wins High Jump in Banská Bystrica with 232cm Jump

Czech high jumper Jan Štefela achieved a winning height of 232 cm at the athletics meet. Japanese athlete Tomohiro Šinno and Korean defending champion U Sang-hjok, a three-time winner of the prestigious event, both cleared 230 cm.

Štefela, the European indoor vice-champion, showcased top form in his second competition of the year. Two weeks after competing at the Beskydská laťka in Třinec, where he opened the season with a jump of 225 cm, he only needed one attempt to clear 230 cm and then successfully cleared the height on his first try.

“I’m not surprised, I knew I had it in me from the beginning of the season. It was just about finding the right rhythm and getting into it, because we trained quite a bit and there were some injuries, so I didn’t get much jumping practice in. Considering we’re taking this indoor season relatively lightly, I think the result is pretty good,” said the athlete coached by Jaroslav Bába in a video broadcast. While pleased with his performance, Štefela noted he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his technique throughout the competition. “Apart from the 232 cm jump, that attempt was really good, and the subsequent three attempts at 235 cm were passable,” Štefela added.

In the women’s competition, 20-year-old Angelina Topičová won by clearing two meters for the first time in her career, setting a Serbian record. She is only the second athlete this year to surpass the two-meter mark, following Ukrainian star Yaroslava Mahuchikhova, who currently leads the rankings with a height of 203 cm.