Steve Hooker remains on golden high

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 18,00.html

Steve Hooker remains on golden high

September 15, 2008

STEVE Hooker has been on a high _ 5.96 metres in fact _ for three weeks now and has no intention of coming down anytime soon.

“Who says I have to?” Hooker grinned as he was mobbed at a welcome home parade for Australia's 2008 Olympians.

With his signature crop of carroty hair glinting in the spring sunshine, the pole vaulter found himself one of the star turns of the day.

It's a feeling he's getting used to.

Ever since Hooker soared to an Olympic record 5.96 metres to win the pole vault in Beijing, he's been on the A list of Australian sporting celebrity.

“It's been so much fun _ all the opportunities it's opened up for me,” he said.

“I haven't really come down yet and don't plan on coming down for a couple of weeks.”

Hooker has been so swept up in the success of that night that he hasn't even had a chance to warm down properly.

Today's 1.5km march is the most exercise he's had since that wonderful night in the Bird's Nest, when he flirted with disaster before clearing every height at his final attempt to emerge with an unlikely gold medal.

Hooker joined more than 120 of his fellow Olympians in an exuberant parade through central Sydney.

They were welcomed by NSW Governor Marie Bashir, who told them “each of you will always be known as an Australian Olympian, and this is a glorious honour than can never be diminished”.

The athletes ranged from 199cm tall veteran rower James Tomkins, home from his sixth Olympics to 142cm diver Melissa Wu, who won silver in her first.

The 43-year-old Tomkins is now turning his thoughts to his family, while Wu, 16, is steeling herself to go back to her schoolbooks next week.

Also there was pint-sized Emma Snowsill, who has been celebrating winning her country's first Olympic triathlon gold medal by eating pizza and ice-cream nearly every night.

She's been too preoccupied to plan the impending wedding to her coach Craig Walton.

“I haven't got round to the wedding just yet,” she said.

“That'll happen, but at the moment I'm just enjoying the experience.”

Also soaking it in was hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan, who was blinking hard in the brilliant sunshine having stepped off a plane from Stuttgart at 5.20 this morning.

The 21-year-old had the Olympic silver medal round her neck, where it's been virtually full-time since her jump-for-joy performance in Beijing.

“I make sure I keep my eye on it,” she says, as if she still can't quite believe that it's hers.

AAP