Zhoya “Over the Moon” with New U18 World Best Jump

Western Australian Sasha Zhoya has lit up the first day of competition at the 2019 Australian Track and Field Championships in Sydney.

The 16 year-old set a new U18 world best height of 5.56m to improve on a global mark that had stood since 2016.

Zhoya recently took the U18 national record off coach Paul Burgess at the Perth Track Classic.

He showed that his form here was no fluke, going higher in Sydney to extend his U18 national record and win the U20 national title with a series of highly impressive clearances.

The multi-talented star said it was a thrill to have achieved the new mark.

“I’ve been chasing it for a while, had a look at 56 (5.56m) at the Track Classic, (on that occasion) had good hip height, good height but I came down with the bar, so I’ve been chasing it a while and I’m definitely over the moon to have it,” Zhoya said post competition.

He confirmed that he plans to skip the U18 pole vault competition and will instead focus on track age-events before returning to pole vault in the senior ranks on Friday, where he believes he can make another bold impression.

“I’m saving it and will come out for opens, but before that I’ve still got the 200m, the hurdles and the 100m sprint to do, so I’ll try and save my energy as best as I can and then have a good hitout in all of the events.”

“I reckon now after this comp with a 56, I’ll probably come in a little later in the heights instead of starting so early, so I can conserve my energy and have a better hitout at the higher heights,” he said.

The senior pole vault competition will see Zhoya go toe to toe with training partners Declan Carruthers, Angus Armstrong and Kurtis Marschall.