Hooker's goal: 6m at home

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Hooker's goal: 6m at home

By Amanda Lulham
February 20, 2009 12:00am
OLYMPIC pole vault champion Steve Hooker has set his lofty sights on a 6m clearance on home soil in upcoming weeks after producing another great escape to keep intact his perfect winning record this season.

The 26-year-old Australian recorded a fifth straight international indoor victory at the GE Gala meeting in Stockholm yesterday before announcing his goal of cracking 6m on Australian soil in upcoming meets.

"I am looking forward to returning home, having a bit of a rest before getting up for Sydney,'' Hooker said, referring to the Sydney Track Classic on February 28. "I will have about 10 days' rest so I expect to be a new man.

"It would be nice to jump 6m on Australian soil again so it will be great if the home crowd came out and cheered us on.''

Hooker, who yesterday won with a last-gasp 5.86m clearance when in third place with two men ahead of him on 5.81m, has three immediate chances to clear 6m.

The first is at the Sydney Track Classic; the second at the world athletics tour event in Melbourne on March 5; and the third at the Australian Championships in Brisbane from March 19-21.

Since leaping to gold in Beijing with a mark of 5.96m, the West Australian has cleared the 6m mark three times.

He jumper 6.06m - 5cm higher than his previous best - in Boston this month to become the second-greatest pole vaulter of all time behind the great Sergey Bubka.

Yesterday, Russian Pavel Gerasimov produced a new personal best to finish in second place behind Hooker at 5.81m. Sweden's Alhaji Jeng recorded a national record to finish third, also at 5.81m.

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Pole vault wiz Steve Hooker aims for six-metre record
Article from: AAPFont size:DecreaseIncreaseEmail article:EmailPrint article:PrintSubmit comment:Submit comment
February 19, 2009 12:25pm
AUSSIE pole vault wiz Steve Hooker aims to thrill home fans with a six-metre jump after five-straight wins in his international indoor campaign.

In what is becoming his trademark, Olympic champion Hooker produced another third attempt escape act to snatch victory at the GE Gala meeting in Stockholm early Thursday (Qld time).

The 26-year-old West Australian won by snatching a last-gasp 5.86m clearance when sitting in third place with two men ahead of him on 5.81m.

Feeling the effects of his gruelling schedule, Hooker went on to have three attempts at 6.00m but was unsuccessful.

In a high quality competition, Russia's Pavel Gerasimov produced a new personal best to finish second at 5.81m and Sweden's home-town favourite Alhaji Jeng made a national record to finish third, also at 5.81m.

Hooker remains unbeaten since he cleared 5.96m to win the Olympic gold in Beijing last August and he has cleared six metres on three occasions, including the 6.06m leap in Boston that left him second only to retired great Sergey Bubka in the all-time record books.

"I am really stoked to finish the trip with five wins," Hooker said.

"It is completely unexpected given the interrupted preparation before I left."

Despite the arduous schedule, Hooker was confident he could get back up to jump well at the Sydney Track Classic on February 28, the world athletics tour event Melbourne on March 5 and the Australian Championships in Brisbane from March 19-21.

"I am looking forward to returning home, having a bit of a rest before getting up for Sydney," Hooker said.

"I will have about 10 days rest so I expect to be a new man.

"It would be nice to jump six metres on Australian soil again so it will be great if the home crowd came out and cheered us on."

Beijing Olympic silver medalist Yevgeniy Lukyanenko, who is set to take on Hooker down under, was unsuccessful in all three attempts at 5.51m in Stockholm and failed to make a clearance.

However, Hooker revealed that Lukyanenko had suffered a slight strain of his tricep at the recent Donesk meet and wasn't quite ready for competition.

"He (Lukyanenko) didn't have any power off the pole tonight but has guaranteed me that he will be ready and raring to go when he arrives in Sydney."