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Pole vaulter Parnov sets new mark

August 7, 2007

VICKY Parnov, already a world junior championships bronze medallist, a world youth championships gold medallist and a Commonwealth Games finalist, now will become Australia's youngest world championships representative.

Parnov was added yesterday to the Australian team to compete at the championships in Osaka later this month. At 16 years 305 days, she will be 34 days younger than Sally McLellan was when she competed in the heats of the women's 4 x 100 metres relay in Paris four years ago.

Parnov has returned home after an excellent European season. In June, the West Australian broke her own national under-18 and under-20 record in Germany, clearing 4.40 metres â€â€

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Pedigree pays off for Parnov


Jessica Halloran
August 7, 2007

HER father and coach, Alex Parnov, is amazed. Her auntie Tatiana Grigorieva is very proud. Rising star Vicki Parnov is about to hit pole-vaulting big time.

Aged 16 years and 306 days, the niece by marriage of Olympic silver medallist Grigorieva was yesterday included in the Australian team to compete at the World Championships in Osaka later this month. She will become the youngest ever Australian to take part in the world titles.

Parnov, who coaches men's pole vault world No.1 Steve Hooker, world No.2 Paul Burgess, and women's Commonwealth champion Kym Howe, was overjoyed by his daughter's inclusion. "It's amazing," he said. "I'm really happy for her. Really, really happy for her."

Athletics Australia chief selector Peter Fitzgerald said Parnov had earned her selection with her recent performances in Europe.

In Saulheim, Germany in June, the West Australian cleared 4.40 metres to break her own national under-18 and under-20 record and set a new world youth best. Parnov then went on to win gold at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, two weeks later.

"[She] is clearly one of Australia's best developing young athletes," Fitzgerald said.

Grigorieva and Parnov became close 10 years ago when they lived in the same house in Adelaide, along with Parnov's parents and Grigorieva's former husband, fellow pole-vaulter Viktor Chistiakov.

"I am so happy for her," Grigorieva said. "I'm very proud, very proud of her. She has been competing for quite some time at a very high level.

"Even though she's young, she has a good record of competing at some of the biggest competitions in the world. She has also won gold at the world youth championships.

"I am happy for her. I hope she keeps getting better and she will because she's still a young girl."

Grigorieva said it was a bonus for Parnov that her father was also her coach.

"He's one of the best coaches in the world," she said.

"He has proved that through his success with Steve Hooker, Paul Burgess and Kym Howe. His record as a coach is really amazing."

Parnov will join training partner and fellow West Australian Howe, and Queenslander Alana Boyd, in the qualifying rounds of the women's pole vault, which are scheduled for the second night of competition in Osaka, on August 26.

Meanwhile, Patrick Johnson, 34, who has already been selected to compete in the 200m sprint, was yesterday included in the 100m event. The Australian 100m record-holder has produced two A-qualifiers this year, including a 10.21 seconds at the national championships in Brisbane, and a 10.17 in Zaragoza, Spain, last week.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/ ... 22,00.html

Age no barrier to Parnov
Scott Gullan
August 07, 2007 12:00am

VICKY Parnov, niece of Olympic pole vault silver medallist Tatiana Grigorieva, will become the youngest Australian athlete to compete at a world championships.

The 16-year-old Perth schoolgirl, who last month won gold in the pole vault at the world youth championships, was yesterday added to the Australian team for the world titles that begin in Osaka, Japan, on August 25.

Parnov has returned home after a European season in which she broke her national under-18 and under-20 record by clearing 4.40m in Saulheim, Germany, in June.

Coached by her father, Alex, who also tutors world No. 1 men's vaulter Steve Hooker and Paul Burgess, Parnov already has vast international experience.

In 2005 she was fourth at the world youth titles in Marrakesh, Morocco, and last year finished sixth at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and then won the bronze medal at the world junior championships in Beijing.

Grigorieva competed three times at world title level, with her best result a bronze medal at the 1999 titles. Parnov's grandmother, Natalya Pechonkina, was the 1968 Olympic 400m bronze medallist.

Vicky has produced several B-qualifiers and is one of the country's most promising athletes, according to Athletics Australia chairman of selectors, Peter Fitzgerald.

"Her two best performances have come in Europe this year, one of them to win the world youth championships," Fitzgerald said.

Parnov – at 16 years and 305 days – succeeds fellow Osaka team member Sally McLellan as the youngest Australian athlete to compete at a world titles. McLellan, who will run in the 100m, 100m hurdles and 4 x 100m relay in Japan, was 16 years 339 days on the opening day of the 2003 world championships in Paris.

Australia will have three representatives in the women's pole vault with Parnov joining training partner Kym Howe and Queenslander Alana Boyd.