THERE was some amount of confusion about the opening height of the pole vault event in the inaugural decathlon Open event at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys Championship yesterday and competitors will have to wait until they get the National Stadium on today’s second day to find out where they will start.

Efforts by the Observer to ascertain the height up to yesterday were fruitless as none of the numerous coaches or officials contacted were certain.

There were guesses from 2.20 metres to as high as 2.90m.

However, one official who requested not to be identified said the lowest possible height at which points could be scored with the equipment available here was 2.08.

The starting height of the high jump was 1.30m.

The 10-discipline event is being introduced for the first time in the 101-year history of the meet and has replaced the heptathlon.

After three of the five events on the first day, St Jago’s Waquar Larrington was ahead with 1,960 points after the 100m, long jump and shot put, while the high ump was in its final phases and the 400m still to come.

Jamaica College’s Giovannie White was in second place with 1,945 points and Munro College’s Clifton Lee third on 1,901.

Oberlin High’s Andre McFarlene was the fastest in the 100m, the opening event at 8:15 am in 11.43 for 767 points, beating Larrington, 11.47 (759 points) with White, who won section two in 11.48 seconds, third overall.

White then leapt a wind-aided 6.77m (3.5m/s) in the long jump to score 760 points, with Larrington posting 6.47 (2.2m/s) for 691.

Lee jumped four places up in the standings from seventh to third after winning the shot put with an impressive 11.97m for 605 points, well ahead of Larrington’s 10.41 and Dinthill Technical’s Aldain Harris, 10.01.

The 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin and the 1500m will complete the decathlon event today.