Imogen Ayris breaks personal best with 4.81m jump at Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland

Imogen Ayris has made another career breakthrough, clearing 4.81m in the women’s pole vault at the Paavo Nurmi Games.

Competing just days after her first Diamond League podium in Rabat, Morocco, Ayris returned to competition in Turku, Finland, overnight.

Lining up in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting proved fruitful for Ayris as she improved her previous best from 4.70m to 4.81m, winning and setting a new meet record.

“This feels amazing. I jumped only a couple of days ago in Rabat, so it was a pretty quick turnaround. I had tired legs, and I was tired. We had to kind of go to plan B today, and I was not expecting to jump a PB, especially based on how the warm-up went.

“I was chasing 4.80 for a couple of meets now, and I was really close. To finally jump it here, with this amazing crowd, feels really special,” said Ayris.

Ayris took three attempts to clear 4.71m, before progressing to 4.81m. She required all three attempts at 4.81m before clearing the bar on her final attempt.

“I will jump in Ostrava next, and then I will compete at the Commonwealth Games in July. It would be amazing to make it to the World Athletics Ultimate Championships.”

With only eight athletes set to qualify for this year’s inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, Ayris is sitting in fifth after her victory in Turku.

“I wasn’t expecting to jump 4.80m by now, so I will just try to keep building from here and see where it will take me.

“New Zealand has a really good pole-vaulting history. There’s no pressure for me; it actually motivates me to work even more.

“It is amazing to have three athletes making consistently global finals and all pushing each other to be better and to fight for the spot in the team. It brings the best out of us and the most competitive side of us.”