Hooker to move to Perth and train with Parnov

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/athletics ... 00824.html

Vaulting Matilda

By Ray Wilson
March 25, 2006

Steven Hooker is a man on the rise and he's on the move. The 23-year-old held his nerve to win the pole vault gold last night against two of the biggest names in the sport.

Urged on by an 81,000-strong crowd, the vaulter with the rich Games heritage cleared 5.80 metres to claim a new Games record, previously held by South Africa's Okkert Brits with a leap of 5.75m.

After winning gold, Hooker, who cleared 5.91m last month, lifted the bar to the psychological barrier of 6.01m.

Despite the crowd's support he couldn't better the height.

The Melbourne vaulter will move to Perth soon to join respected coach Alex Parnov, who mentors Paul Burgess and once had Dmitri Markov in his stable.

The Games run in Hooker's family. His father, Bill, represented Australia in the 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m and 4 x 400m in 1974. His mother, Erica (nee Nixon), was a 1972 Olympian and a Commonwealth Games long jump silver medallist, competing in 1974 and 1978.

Hooker easily cleared his first height of 5.60m at his first attempt and didn't disturb the bar at 5.70m, and ultimately at his winning leap of 5.80m.

The shock of the night came with the early exit of West Australian Burgess, the favourite coming into the event.

The 26 year-old, who cleared 6m last year, failed at all three attempts at 5.60m.

Markov won silver medal with a leap of 5.60m but failed at 5.70m. England's Steven Lewis took bronze at 5.50m.