World champ to jump in Tel Aviv

World champion pole vaulter Brad Walker will compete against European champion Alex Averbukh on Tuesday.

alex averbukh 298.88 (photo credit: AP)
alex averbukh 298.88
(photo credit: AP)
World champion pole vaulter Brad Walker will compete against European champion Alex Averbukh on Tuesday at the Israeli Track & Field Championships, the Israel Athletics Association announced Wednesday. Walker, who is ranked No. 1 in the world, boasts a personal best of 5.96 meters. The American won the gold at the IAAF World Athletics Final last year in Monaco and at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow in March. Every year, the IAA tries to bring world-class athletes to help raise the level of the competition, particularly in the pole vault, where Averbukh is head and shoulders above the rest of the local talent. But this year's field, which already featured young Russians Andrey Chemov and Sergey Kucheryanu, figures to be the most competitive to date.