Alysha Newman 2nd in Zurich pole vault to secure Diamond League Final berth

Alysha Newman is headed to her fourth Diamond League Final, and first in five years, after nearly matching her Canadian record performance from the recent Paris Olympics.

She cleared 4.82 metres for second place behind Olympic champion Nina Kennedy of Australia to open the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League track and field meet on Wednesday.

In Newman's only previous appearance in Zürich, the 30-year-old also posted a 4.82 clearance on Aug. 28, 2019.

"This is one of my favourite competitions in the year. I love the intimacy of the crowd and getting all this energy from the crowd. You feel that people want us to succeed," she said of competing indoors atZürich's central train station.

"Of course, I would have like to beat Nina today. She is such jumping so consistently and beautifully."

Newman, 30, cleared 4.73 a week ago at the Golden Gala in Rome in her first competition since a 4.85 effort for bronze at Stade de France on Aug. 7 when she became Canada's first-ever Olympic medallist in women's pole vault.

WATCH | Newman clears 4.73m for 3rd place in Rome:

On Sept. 6, 2019, the native of London, Ont., jumped 4.77 at the AG Memorial Van Damme in Brussels for third in the Diamond League Final.

Newman was also third in the 2017 championship when she set a then-Canadian mark of 4.75, one year after going 4.42 in her DL Final debut, also in Brussels.

On Sept. 14 in Brussels, she will compete for the Diamond League Trophy and $30,000 top prize against Kennedy, Angelica Moser of Switzerland, Molly Caudery of Great Britain and Americans Sandi Morris and Katie Moon.

Joining Newman in Belgium will be Edmonton middle-distance runner Marco Arop in the men's 800m and shot putter Sarah Mitton, from Brooklyn, N.S.

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