Hamilton says pole vault "rife" with drugs cheats

[Scott Go Pre]

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.asp?id=53807&c=w

Hamilton says pole vault "rife" with drugs cheats

Melina Hamilton has no doubt some in the pole vault event are on drugs; she has failed to make final at World Champs

8 August 2005

New Zealand pole vaulter Melina Hamilton is disappointed with her efforts at the World Championships in Helsinki.

Hamilton has failed to make the final, finishing in a tie for 20th place, and says her vault was well below what she is capable of achieving.

She says 4-15 what not what she wanted, so she has some unfinished business and will be hungrier for the Commonwealth Games.

She was drugs tested afterwards along with six other competitors and says she has no doubt some in the 30-strong field are on drugs because her sport is rife with drugs cheats.

Hamilton says it is hard to pinpoint specific athletes but she would not be at all surprised if they have a couple of positive drugs tests out of the pole vault.

She believes she may move further up the world pole vault rankings after drugs testing is completed.

Meanwhile Beatrice Faumuina has scraped into the final of the women's discus, qualifying 9th.

Tonight Nick Willis and Adrian Blincoe are in semi final action in the 1500 metres.

In results this morning, American Olympic champion Justin Gatlin has won the 100 metres and Swedish Olympic champion Karolina Kluft has won the heptathlon.


© 2005 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

[ashcraftpv]

sore loser......

I highly doubt any of the women vaulters in the field are using and performance enhancing drugs. Sounds like someone's got some "sour grapes" about not making it to the final......

[CHC04Vault]

Bitter much. I think she needs to save some face and shut up. Cheaters are bad, but whinners and sore losers are just as bad.

[roger/over]

Other vaulters being on steroids could affect Hamilton's placings in meets, but there's no way another vaulter's steroids can affect Hamilton's performances. Her history is one of not performing well in big meets:

In 2002, she had a seasonal best of 4.25m. She placed 9th in the Commonwealth Games at 3.90m.

In 2003, she had a seasonal best and national record of 4.40m. She placed 10th in the qualifying round at the world championships at 4.00m.

In 2004, she had a seasonal best of 4.30m. She placed 12th in the qualifying round of the Olympic Games at 4.15m.

Her seasonal best this year of 4.31m makes her 12th in the qualifying round of the world championships at 4.15m seem very much in keeping with her earlier big-meet history.

How can what other athletes do be responsible for her averaging 26 cms (8") below her seasonal best when the heat is on?


On the other hand, Melina has shown a notable competitiveness in regaining the New Zealand record, after other vaulters have wrested it away.

She first gained the NZL record at 3.80m in 1966. Losing it to Cassandra Kelly in 1997, she regained in at 3.90m in 1997. Losing it to Kelly again in 1998, she took it back at 4.01 in 1998. Jenni Dryburgh took it away in 1999 and Hamilton took it back at 4.15 in 2000. She lost it to Dryburgh in 2001, who advanced the record to 4.16, 4.25, and 4.35; but Hamilton took it back in 2003 and still holds it at 4.40m.

Maybe a bit of a whiner this time, but obviously a tenacious fighter!

[Scott Go Pre]

It appears that she is not a big meet jumper.