The strategy of reigning Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi throughout a fast-paced, race-against-the-clock pole vault competition: keep cool.
Not exactly easy on a sweltering day or with a shaky hand struggling to set the bar back on the holder late in the competition.
The Greek standout stayed calm and collected as she outpaced two fellow pole vaulters to take home top honors Saturday in the second edition of the Ultimate Garden Clash staged at their own training facilities.
With the temperature hovering around 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) in Athens, Stefanidi cleared a height of 4 meters (13 feet, 1 ½ inches) a total of 34 times over a 30-minute span in a rare track and field competition held during the coronavirus pandemic.