McTaggart finishes just outside medals in Tampere

Olivia McTaggart has finished fifth in the womens pole vault at the Under 20 World Championships in Tampere, Finland, clearing 4.30m.

The 18-year-old from Aucklands North Shore open at 4.00m, clearing on her first attempt, before getting over 4.10m and 4.20m on her second attempts.

Passing the next height (4.25m), she made it over 4.30m on her second attempt to move into third place.

Despite some good attempts, McTaggart was not able to clear 4.35m, a height that would have secured her a medal at the championships.

McTaggart, coached by Athletics NZ High Performance coach Jeremy McColl, also cleared 4.30m at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April to finish in ninth place.

Earlier at the championships, the other Kiwi in the pole vault, Imogen Ayris, vaulted 3.95m to miss out on a spot in the final.

McTaggart will join her training partner Eliza McCartney at a meeting in Jockgrim, Germany later in the week before McCartney heads to Monaco for the next Diamond League meeting on Friday 20 July.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand