Hooker inspired by Bubka's World Record

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Steve Hooker is inspired by Sergey Bubka's world pole vault record
• Nicole Jeffery
• From: The Australian
• April 16, 2010 12:00AM
OLYMPIC and world champion Steve Hooker believes that one day he will get to Sergey Bubka's monumental world pole vault record of 6.14m. He's just not sure if Sunday will be the day.
Even with the lure of a $100,000 bonus for breaking the world record at the new Western Australian Athletics Stadium during this weekend's Commonwealth Games trials, he does not underestimate the mammoth performance that will be required to get to the revered mark, which has stood unchallenged for 16 years.
"I think one day I will be able to do it, but it's a big ask to do it on a given day," Hooker said. "There's a bit of an incentive but that doesn't mean I am more likely to do it. To say that I'm going to jump the world record is a bit of a stretch."
He noted that it had taken him four years to improve to his current personal best of 6.06m (indoors), so he could not expect to leap to 6.15m immediately.
"It's a gradual process of improving all the little things," he said.
To underline the size of the task before him, Bubka is the only man to have gone higher than 6.05m outdoors. And he did it nine times.
Australia's former world champion Dmitri Markov was the last man to clear 6.05m, and that was nine years ago. So Hooker is looking at rarefied air indeed.
But he does feel that he is at the top of his game going into the Commonwealth Games trials, after completing his personal grand slam of major titles at the world indoor titles in Doha last month.
He is now the only athlete to hold the Olympic, world, Commonwealth and indoor titles simultaneously.
Hooker cleared 6.01m to win in Doha and then took three attempts at Bubka's world indoor record of 6.16m, of which only the last was anywhere near close.
What Hooker probably will have on his side is the weather conditions at the new stadium, which has been designed to be a pole vaulter's paradise, oriented to take advantage of the tailwind offered almost daily by the Fremantle Doctor.
Hooker, fellow world champion Dani Samuels (discus) and new world indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre (long jump) will be the main drawcards while the men's 400m and 1500m finals promise to be cracking races as more athletes have beaten the Games qualifying time than there are positions available.

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http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/steve ... 5854258056

Steve Hooker aims for record attempt
• AAP
• From: AAP
• April 15, 2010 7:01PM
Steve Hooker is aiming for a world-record in pole vault in Perth. Source: AFP
Steve Hooker knows better than to offer any guarantees.
But if everything comes together at this weekend's Commonwealth Games athletics trials - and the early signs are very good indeed - the pole vault world No.1 might well be ready to take aim at the long-standing world record of all-time great Sergey Bubka.

Australian head coach Eric Hollingsworth has labelled the new Western Australian Athletics Stadium a "performance paradise", with the lightning-fast track, warm conditions and prevailing breeze all tailor-made for the jumpers, vaulters and sprinters.

Hooker trains at the venue every day, after moving west from Victoria four years ago to link up with coach Alex Parnov.

There is a $100,000 incentive up for grabs if he can better Bubka's 16-year-old outdoor mark of 6.14m on Sunday.

The legendary Ukrainian also holds the world indoor record of 6.15m.

But the sport's world governing body no longer makes any official distinction between the two marks, meaning Hooker is likely to have the bar raised to 6.16m on Sunday if he goes for broke.

The Australian's best clearance of 6.06m was recorded indoors last year in Boston - higher than any man apart from Bubka has ever vaulted.

All of his previous attempts at Bubka's record have been under a roof, although as the reigning Olympic and world champ, Hooker is just as comfortable competing outdoors.

"Just knowing what it feels like to run in and have that bar up there at world record height is an advantage," Hooker said.

"It's all experience, it does help your confidence, it does make it seem like just another bar.

"It's obviously a very high bar, but it's something I'm a little bit more familiar with now.

"I always attack it as if I'm going to clear it and that's the way you've got to approach it."

The 27-year-old can also draw confidence from having set a new Olympic mark of 5.96m two years ago in Beijing at the end of a long and gruelling competition.

"But you've got to get to that position first," he said.

"It's not easy at the national championships, you do your warm-up, the competition starts at 1.30pm and then it's going to be two hours when I'm sitting around waiting to get a chance to jump.

"I've just got to get through that, stay relaxed and not use up too much energy during that time so that I can put together a few good jumps.

"Obviously it would be nice to do it, and it would be nice if we get good conditions and it's a possibility, but it's by no means a certainty (that I will even attempt the record)."

The sprinters are also salivating at the chance to chase spots in the team for the Delhi Commonwealth Games in conditions tailor-made for fast times.

The fastest men's 100m times this year - 10.17 seconds by Aaron Rouge-Serret, 10.18 by national record holder Patrick Johnson and 10.23 by Matt Davies - were all set in Perth, while Davies also clocked his season-leading 200m time of 20.54 here.

The men's 400m and 1500m shape as the most competitive event of the three-day championships, with at least five runners in each event capable of claiming one of the three spots on offer for the Delhi Games.

Hooker, discus world champion Dani Samuels and long jumper Fabrice Lapierre have been pre-selected for the Commonwealth Games, but will still defend their national titles in Perth.

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Pole vault legend Sergey Bubka throws support behind Steve Hooker
EXCLUSIVE By GLEN FOREMAN From: The Sunday Times April 17, 2010 7:00PM 1 comment

RECORD CHASE: WA-based pole vaulter Steve Hooker has received the support of his sport's greatest ever athlete. Picture: Marie Nirme Source: The Sunday Times


GOD-LIKE REALM: Ukrainian world record holder Sergey Bubka in action furing his illustrious career. Picture: Dimitri Messinis Source: PerthNow

POLE-VAULT legend Sergey Bubka has thrown his support behind Steve Hooker's attempt to smash his world record, saying the WA-based athlete has the technique and mental toughness to be the sport's greatest.

Hooker will today charge down the runway at the State Athletics Centre in Mt Claremont for the Australian Athletics Championships with a $100,000 incentive to improve his personal best by 10cm and outleap Bubka's 17-year-old record.

Hooker's attempt has captured the attention of the nation and WA sports lovers who will cheer on the flame-haired hero in his bid to grab glory in front of a home crowd.

Hooker has set 6.16m as an ultimate career goal, a height that would surpass Ukrainian Bubka's two world-topping leaps of 6.14m (1994 outdoor) and 6.15m (1993 indoor), but played down expectations he would achieve the mark in Perth today.

Hooker's personal best is 6.06m set in Boston in February, 2009.

Bubka this week told The Sunday Times that Hooker loomed as the sport's next world record holder and he would be happy to see the vaulter capture the mantle.

"I would feel very well (if Hooker broke the world record)," Bubka said.

"There is no doubt that Steven is talented and a gifted athlete. I wish him good luck."

Bubka boosted the outdoor world record by 31cm, won the event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and collected 10 world titles in his 20 years of international competition.

The vaulting master attributed his dominance to a well-rounded technique, but said Hooker's approach and ability to cope well under pressure put him in good stead to sit atop history's record books.

"The athlete can be quick, can be strong, but without high technical skills he cannot jump high and show good results in pole vault," Bubka said.

"Steven also has his own style. His technique is very good and Steven's high results prove this as nothing else.

"Steve Hooker has now won an Olympic gold medal, a world outdoor gold medal and a world indoor gold medal, a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

"He has won many world-class events and it seems he easily copes with such pressure."

Hooker welcomed the endorsement from his sport's ultimate figurehead and praised the attitude of Bubka, who is now senior vice-president of athletics' international governing body, the IAAF.

"I don't normally pay a lot of attention to what people say about my technique," Hooker said.

"But obviously, when you get an endorsement from someone like Sergey, that's right from the top and that obviously means we're heading in the right direction. It's good to think that support is there.

"That's an attitude you like to see a champion of the sport have, especially someone who's so heavily involved in athletics. You'd like to think they're all about the sport progressing and they'd get some joy out of that, even if it was their world record at stake."

The $100,000 incentive has added spice to the record attempt, with Department of Sport and Recreation director-general Ron Alexander urging the public to get behind Hooker.

"Steve's a terrific individual and he's done a fabulous job and we're just looking forward to him enjoying the day at the new WA athletics stadium," he said.

The men's pole-vault final at today's national championships begins at 1.30pm.