Dominic Johnson aims for third Summer Olympic Games

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Pole vaulter aims for third Summer Olympic Games
By David Pascal

He is among this country’s most decorated athletes, however, St Lucians know little about the man who excels in a sport few in the Caribbean have mastered. The fact that he lives overseas makes pole vaulter Dominic Lawrence Johnson, an unknown but valuable commodity.

Johnson who was recently in St Lucia on holidays, put on a special exhibition during the National Track and Field Championships held at the George Odlum National Stadium. To set the record straight he was born in St Lucia. At age two, Johnson immigrated to the United States. Had he remained in St Lucia, it is highly unlikely Johnson would be where he is today in pole vault. That is because even today, the sport is still foreign to St Lucian athletes. You would think that based on Johnson’s achievements, which include a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, others would aspire to follow in his footsteps. It has not happened yet and probably never will, because pole vaulting equipment stays locked away in a storage room and is never used.

Johnson’s inspiration came from an older brother who began pole vaulting in high school. It didn’t take him long to get hooked. “I knew at a pretty young age that pole vaulting was something I wanted to do,â€Â