Pole vaulter Alysha Newman inches closer to qualifying for Diamond League Final

Alysha Newman placed third in a pole vault competition Friday in Rome to strengthen her hold on a qualifying position for the Diamond League Final next month.

In her first event since becoming Canada's first-ever Olympic medallist in women's pole vault, Newman cleared 4.73 metres at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet.

She cleared that bar on her second of three attempts before missing all three tries at 4.83 at Stadio Olimpico. Newman earned Olympic bronze on Aug. 7 after jumping 4.85 at the Stade de Paris in Saint-Denis, France.

With her seventh top-three finish of this outdoor season, the London, Ont., native picked up six valuable points to climb one spot to fourth in the season standings with 18. The top six advance to the Sept. 13 Diamond League Final in Brussels, with the last qualifying competition Sept. 5 in Zurich.

Italy's Roberta Bruni and Sandi Morris of the United States occupy the final two qualifying positions with 16 points, four more than Katie Moon and six ahead of her American teammate, Emily Grove.

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

Australian Nina Kennedy, who won Olympic gold in Paris, tops the season standings with 31 points after Friday's victory with a 4.83 clearance. She attempted to top her 4.91 personal best but missed all three attempts at 4.93.

"To get the win and attempt a new PB [personal best] is really good. I am really happy," she said.

Kennedy mentioned the possibility of setting a world record in the next year. Russia's Yelena Isbinbayeva's mark of 5.06 has stood for 15 years.

"I am still quite young, I am maturing as an athlete and I do not think I have quite jumped my highest yet," Kennedy said. "I feel like I am coming into my prime."

Molly