Vashti Cunningham became the youngest ever women’s winner at the world indoor championships, then American's first time clearance at 1.96m being decisive.

Source: Ian Walton/Getty Images North America

Eight women attempted 1.96m and four went clear but only the 18-year-old Cunningham – jumping last of the 11 women in the straight final – much to the delight of the local crowd, went over at the first time of asking, just the Las Vegas school girl had done at her three previous heights: 1.84m, 1.89m and 1.93m.

She was soon joined by Poland’s defending champion Kamila Lickwinko and Spain’s two-time European champion Ruth Beitia, who went over on their second attempts while Lithuania’s Airine Palsyte needed all three of her attempts to progress.

However, when the bar went up to 1.99m none of the four women could go any higher.

At the other end of the age spectrum from the prodigious 2016 champion, Beitia – aged 36 and more than twice Cunningham’s age – took the silver medal by virtue of not having any failures prior to 1.96m and became the oldest ever medallist in this event.

The 2014 joint-winner Lichwinko had to settle for third this time after failures at both 1.84m and and 1.93m proved to be costly while Palsyte finished out of the medals in fourth.

Source: Phil Minshull for the IAAF

RESULT AND SERIES 

POS	ATHLETE	COUNTRY	MARK	DETAIL	1.84	1.89	1.93	1.96	1.99	2.01
1	Vashti Cunningham	USA	1.96		O	O	O	O	XXX
2	Ruth Beitia	ESP	1.96		O	O	O	XO	XXX
3	Kamila Licwinko	POL	1.96		XO	O	XO	XO	XXX
4	Airiné Palšyté	LTU	1.96		XO	O	XXO	XXO	XXX
5	Levern Spencer	LCA	1.93		O	O	O	XXX
5	Sofie Skoog	SWE	1.93		O	O	O	XXX
7	Alessia Trost	ITA	1.93		O	O	XO	XXX
8	Erika Kinsey	SWE	1.93	SB	O	XXO	XXO	XXX
9	Doreen Amata	NGR	1.89		O	O	XXX
10	Lissa Labiche	SEY	1.89	NIR	O	XXO	XXX
10	Isobel Pooley	GBR	1.89		O	XXO	XXX
	Priscilla Frederick	ANT	DNS