PoleVaultPower.com

http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUi ... 5_15_27_27

Men's Pole Vault winner, Brad Walker

Walker is currently ranked No.1 in the world by IAAF rankings.

"My training is finally starting to come around. This was a good sign today heading to the World Championships. I competed on a bit of a different sequence today. Most of the other vaulters were jumping at different heights. I just thought that my sequence worked better for me. My first clearance at 5.75 (18-10 ¼) was a good jump. Probably my best of the competition."

In particular I've been working on my speed and getting off the ground well at the outset. My goal here was to make the team. I think we all have aspirations of winning the world championships. The U.S. has a number of the top vaulters ranked among the top 20. I think this works to our advantage during international competition.

I've been working hard to train consistently and train healthy. This has been a big factor in my development.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060226/sp ... 0226004806

Walker books indoor worlds berth with US pole vault victory
Sat Feb 25, 7:48 PM ET
BOSTON (AFP) - Athletics world championships silver medallist Brad Walker booked his ticket to the indoor world championships next month with a pole vault victory at the US indoor athletics championships.

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The 24-year-old from California won the national indoor crown with a vault of 5.75m, then took three unsuccessful attempts at 5.88m before calling it a day and mapping plans for his trip to Moscow, where the world indoors will be held March 10-12.

There Walker will likely get another shot at Rens Blom of the Netherlands, who beat him for the gold at the outdoor world championships last year.

Walker was looking forward to that, as well as to perhaps eventually challenging now retired Ukrainian Sergei Bubka's stranglehold on the pole vault world lists.

"Everything has to be right," Walker said of any attemt to challenge Bubka's marks, which include the indoor world record of 6.15m.

"And maturity comes along with it," Walker added. "I'm 24 right now, hopefully as the years progress, and if I stay healthy reaching what should my peak years, and train smart, I may be able do something big."

To win on Saturday, Walker had to beat an all-star field.

Trailing him in the 10-man competition were American record-holder Jeff Hartwig, 2004 Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson, and 2004 Olympic champion Tim Mack.

Hartwig cleared 5.70, Stevenson went 5.60 and Mack 5.50. Failing to clear a height was 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong.

All this time I thought Walker was from Seattle?

He lives in Seattle now, grew up in Spokane. Went to U-HI

Mecham wrote:He lives in Seattle now, grew up in Spokane. Went to U-HI

Both of which are not California as the press release states

but you can assume that everything great comes from california... haha

bjvando wrote:but you can assume that everything great comes from california... haha

California AND Spokane. Right Tom?

any video of the meet?

and yes bjvando, it IS safely assumed that all great things come from California

dafox wrote:any video of the meet?

It will be on TV this afternoon. If we are lucky we might get to see 2 jumps from the men, but don't hold your breath.

It is supposed to be a live broadcast, and the women will be jumping during that time, so maybe we will see a few jumps, especially in the background.

Because it was a televised meet, I would not be surprised if they did not allow video cameras in the meet.

Just saw Jeff and Jenn in a preview for the pole vault! looks like they might show some more!

They just showed Brad winning at 18'10. I think thats all....