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Higher and higher Dragila raises her own world pole vault record
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- In front of a cheering, adoring crowd, many of whom remembered her as a teen-age goat-tying competitor in local rodeos, Stacy Dragila broke the world record in the women's pole vault. Dragila, leading the first American contingent in the new Olympic event, cleared 15 feet, 2 1/4 inches at the U.S. trials Sunday, then missed three times at 15-5, a height she cleared while warming up. "It was definitely a dream come true to come home to Sacramento and have my family and friends cheer me on to Sydney," said the 29-year-old former heptathlete who was persuaded by her coach at Idaho State to try the pole vault. In the years since then, the women's pole vault has quickly captured the public's imagination, and Dragila is easily the event's biggest draw. Oozing with confidence, she repeated her desire to clear 16 feet before the Sydney Games. "I still have a lot to work on," she said. "I have over a month to train for the games, and I think 16 feet is doable. Fifteen-five was not that high for me today, and I think 16 feet is right around the corner." Now it's on to Europe to face those who will be her biggest challengers in Sydney. "To go over to Europe this next week and have three competitions against my international competitors, that's what I'm looking for," Dragila said. "I'm hungry to see them before we go to Sydney, and I'm not afraid to go up against them. That's what makes me tough. That's what's going to give me a good chance to win the gold medal." Dragila had set the previous record of 15-1 3/4 in Mesa, Ariz., on May 1. She won the inaugural world indoor championship in 1997 and the first world's title last year. Dragila knew that the stands near the pole vault pit would be filled with people who knew her. "I was nervous because I was here at home. When I got to the field and did my warmups, I made 15-5, that's pretty danged awesome," she said. "To stay composed through the competition was all I wanted to do. And I did it and came up on top with the world record," she said. After soaring over the record height, Dragila had the bar raised to 15-5, but she missed three times. Her best attempt was her second, when the bar hung up momentarily after she cleared it, but it fell when Dragila apparently nicked it on the way down. "Why not?" she said when asked why she went for the world record again after already setting it once. "It's good for my confidence to go at it. I was out there for a long time. Those are situations we're going to be at in Sydney. I want to know what it's like to be out there for a long time and go after big jumps."
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