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Morris on pole for Olympics

Rio-bound US Olympian Sandi Morris soared to the highest outdoor pole vault mark in the world this year when she cleared 4.93 metres in Houston yesterday morning (Singapore time).

The mark, set during an American Track League meeting, superseded Russian Yelena Isinbayeva's clearance of 4.90m as the best outdoor mark for 2016.

Only world outdoor record holder Isinbayeva and American Olympic champion Jenn Suhr have ever jumped higher, giving the US a strong 1-2 punch for next month's Olympics.

Isinbayeva will miss the Games because of the Russian athletics ban.

"I'm crying you guys!! I just broke the American Record!" the 24-year-old Morris said, on Twitter.

Suhr holds the American record of 5.02m set indoors in 2013, with a pending record of 5.03m from earlier this year.

Morris' indoor best is 4.95m, a mark she set while defeating Suhr for the 2016 US indoor title.

The previous outdoor best by an American was Suhr's 4.92m from 2008.

Isinbayeva's world record, set in 2009, is 5.06m. - Reuters.

athleticsRio OlympicsUSSANDI MORRISpole vaultsportrecordINDOOR