Patterson on a high after claiming Australian U20 title

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Updated: March 15, 2015

FEW Australian women have risen to greater heights than Eleanor Patterson. In fact, soon she may stand alone as the best female high jumper this country has seen.

The Victorian equaled her own national under-20 high jump record to claim gold on the last day of competition at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park, and went within an inch – well, two centimetres – of equaling the national record of 198cm last achieved by Alison Inverarity in 1994.

Patterson was the last to enter the women’s U20 high jump competition at 1.88m, and had little trouble clearing 1.90m, 1.92m and 1.94m before finally clearing 1.96cm, her career-best – and world youth best – mark she also registered at the Australian Schools Championships in 2013.

It was also 2cm better than the height that won her last year’s Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow when 18, becoming the third-youngest Australian to become a Commonwealth champion.

“It all went really well, I was happy with that jump,” she told Athletics Australia. “I trained my hardest coming in, and have done all the preparation with my coach and it’s great out there because I just love to do it.

“I just take each jump as it comes, I try to keep my calm and the 1.98 ones felt very close. Who knows what is to come?

“It was a really good competition, the level was really high, it was great to have those girls out there doing really well too. And I have to say thank you to all my supporters, my coach and my family, they’ve just been amazing.”

Queensland’s Hannah Joye (1.92m) won silver, while New South Wales’ Nicola McDermott (1.88m) took hom the bronze

Queensland’s Shemaiah James took out the men’s U20 high jump on Friday after clearing 2.09m, ahead of state teammate Jason Strano (2.06), and New South Wales’ Grant Szalek (2.06).

The boys’ U18 high jump saw Queensland’s Josh Connolly take gold from Szalek (2.09m) and another Queenslander in Brenton Foster (2.09m).

New Zealand’s Phoebe Edwards won the girls’ U18 high jump on the Thursday after clearing 1.79m, from Western Australia’s Clare Gibson (1.77m) and NSW’s Tay-Leiha Clark (1.77m).

Source: Athletics Australia