The women's open, one foot high kick has a new world record holder, 18-year-old, Alice Strick of McGrath, Alaska.

During Thursday afternoon's, high kick event, Strick leapt 7 ft. 6 in., to strike her target and claim both the gold ulu and the new world record.

The previous record had been set at 7 ft. 4. in, by Ingrid Green of N.W.T during the 1988 AWG in Fairbanks.

"It's amazing,” said Strick. "I grew up with the Games, but it's been tough training this year, or trying to train. I am going to college, so I try in between classes and work, at UAA (University of Alaska Anchorage), but it's really paid off. I did well today.”

Strick broke the record for the junior women's event, during the 2010 AWG in Grande Prairie with another jump of 7 ft. 6. in.

The silver ulu was claimed by Yukoner, Anna Rivard, who kicked 7 ft. 2. in with two misses and bronze by Deseray Cumberbatch of Nunavik, with 7 ft. 2. in and four misses.

In the junior women's event, Melanie Curtis, of Team Alberta North took home gold, reaching 7 ft. 4. in, just shy of Strick's 2010 record, and towering above silver medalist Autumn Ridley of Alaska, who claimed silver with a 7.0 jump.

"It feels pretty good actually, that's the highest I've ever kicked, so it was my personal best,” said Curtis.

"I don't train for this event, I am a gymnast, but it's just power that makes you good at an event like this, you have to be able to jump hard and get your foot up there.”

The bronze medal for the junior females came down to a kick-off between Veronica McDonald of N.W.T and Linda Kowcharlie, of Nunavik, who injured her leg late in the event.

Both kicked 6 ft. 8., with McDonald, taking it in two kicks over Kowcharlie's four, a narrow victory.

"I could have done better, but I just wasn't there I guess you could say,” said McDonald. "I feel like I should have done better, either way I am glad I placed and I kicked well.”

McDonald acknowledged her the tough competition put up by her Quebec rival.

"She did really great before, unfortunately she hurt herself, but I hope she gets better and she was amazing.”

In the open male category, gold went to Aisa Pirti of Nunavik with a jump of 9 ft. 2 in, while Silver went to Alaska's Casey Ferguson, who jumped 9 ft. 0 in with zero misses and bronze to Brian Randazzo, also of Alaska, who cleared 9 ft. 0 in. with one miss.

In the junior male, Ikey Bolt of Nunavuk jumped 8 ft. 1 in with 0 misses, for gold, with silver going to Brandon Qiyuk, also of Nunavut who jumped 8 ft. 1 in. with four misses. Bronze went to Nunavik's

Ahuya Snowball, who jumped 8 ft.

As with many of the Arctic Sports, the high kick is an event rooted deeply in Inuit history and tradition and competitors in the event are expected to honour the history as an integral part of the event itself.

"Historically, the Inuit when they were not able to go anywhere outside the igloo, they used to gather and play games inside the igloo, keeping fit,” said Attima

Hadlari, an event organizer from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. "The competitive sport comes from the McKenzie Delta area, back in the late 50s one elder, who is still alive started the Arctic sports, Inuit Games at his home, to train the youth,”

Finding success in the sport has a lot to do with finding focus and balance, said Hadlari.

"It just depends on how you feel during the event,” said Hadlari. "It could be a surprise, there can be many surprises, the shortest guy can win. It's beautiful to watch.”

Yesterday's high kick wasn't the only event to see new records set. Strick's new title comes amid a strain of new women's records set in this year's Arctic Sports.

On Mar. 5, Veronica McDonald of N.W.T., set the new word record for the junior women's kneel jump, narrowly defeating the previous record of 1.31 metres with her 1.32 metre leap. On Mar. 7, Rivard set the new triple jump, open female record with a 8.5 metre jump, overcoming the previous 7.9 metre record. She had also previously set the record in the jr. women's category with a 8.31 metre jump.

In the junior female Alaskan High Kick, Ridley overcame the record of 5 ft. 10. in, setting a new record with her 6 ft. 2. in kick.

In the male categories, Andrew Bell of Nunavut set a new record for the open male triple jump, with a jump of 10.95, metres, surpassing the previous record of 10.51 metres.