Steve Hooker back in the mix

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http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 88,00.html

Pole Valuter Steve Hooker back in the mix

Damian Barrett
July 09, 2008 12:00am
STEVE Hooker says his back is "99 per cent fine".

It was only last month that Australia's leading pole vaulter feared bulging discs would sink his Beijing gold-medal hopes.

Last week Hooker, in his first competition since damaging his back during a weights workout, jumped an encouraging 5.81m in Poland.

He will test the back again in a high-class meeting in Germany next week.

"After what has been a pretty difficult few weeks, I find myself in a really good place," Hooker said from Cologne, Germany, his base for the past two weeks.

"I've finished my first couple of weeks in Europe and competed in my first competition of what I call my Olympic preparation.

"The last six weeks have been pretty tough, though."

Hooker recovered quickly from the injury but feared the setback would hand rivals an advantage with uninterrupted preparations.

But since returning to full training he is convinced he has not lost fitness.

"I've dealt with an injury that stopped my preparation in its tracks," Hooker said.

"While that was happening, my competition was putting up some big results all over the world.

"It's been a bit of a battle to get through from that perspective, and still maintain a positive state of mind.

"I feel my back is now 99 per cent fine and, while my preparation may not have moved forward a great deal over the past six weeks, it has not gone backwards.

"The 5.81m jump in Poland was a great first-up result but the way I was jumping was the thing that made me happy.

"Everything felt really consistent. It sets a good platform for some big results in the rest of the competitions I have lined up this month."

Hooker, ranked the world's No. 1 pole vaulter in 2006, joined the sport's magical 6m club when he cleared that height at an intraclub meeting in Perth in January.

Only 15 vaulters have managed that height.

Two of those, American Brad Walker and Russian Yevgeniy Lukyanenko, have cleared 6m just in the past fortnight.

"Lukyanenko won the competition I competed in in Poland with 6.01 m, so he is in great form," Hooker said.

"Men's pole vault is really going great guns this year and it's exciting to be in the mix."