Ivanyuk flies high to beat Olympic champ Tamberi

LAUSANNE • Russian Ilya Ivanyuk won the Lausanne Diamond League high-jump competition in Switzerland on Wednesday with Italian Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi down in fifth place.

Ivanyuk succeeded with a leap of 2.30m, with America's Shelby McEwen and Andriy Protsenko of Ukraine both clearing 2.27m.

The event was staged in Lausanne's city centre, a day ahead of the main Diamond League meet at the Stade Olympic de la Pontaise.

Tamberi, who memorably shared Olympic gold with Qatari Mutaz Barshim, was 6cm below Ivanyuk and 13cm underneath the height he set in Tokyo.

The 29-year-old later admitted he had yet to come down from his Japan high and vowed to perform better at next month's Diamond League meet in Zurich.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It's difficult when you win a gold medal after five years of trying. I will be back and I promise to jump higher next time.

"After the Games and winning gold, I am still getting used to my win and I couldn't sleep for a few nights. I now have to get back into focus to jump higher again in Zurich. I am not going to set a limit and a height objective.

"For me, anything is possible."

Italian Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi cleared in Lausanne, 13cm below the height he set in Tokyo.

Barshim skipped the event as he was attending a function as a guest of the Emir of Qatar.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE