World Championships medallist pole vaulter eyes 5.8m

Cuban pole vaulter Lazaro Borges, who is also a World Championships silver medallist, says his goal next year is to consistently jump over 5.80 metres.

Borges Wednesday said "the goal is to stay within 5.75 and 5.80 metres, preferably 5.80."

His personal best is a national record of 5.90m, achieved at the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, which earned him second place, while his current season best is 5.71m.

After acknowledging that his 2014 objectives are "very high", Borges, who also won the 2011 Pan-American Championship in Guadalajara, Mexico, said he will begin the season with indoor competitions, and in the summer participate in the Diamond League and World Cup, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), reports Xinhua.

He plans to close the season at the Central American and Caribbean Games, to be held in Veracruz, Mexico.

After winning the silver medal at Worlds, Borges did less well the following year, breaking his pole in mid-vault as he was trying to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.

Borges and his coach Ruben Camino have been analysing video clips of his best performances, said the athlete.

"I have to recover several factors to improve my performance," Borges said with enthusiasm, a trait that has helped him through critical moments in his career.