Australia on verge of pole vault domination
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 10:09 am
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0 ... 01,00.html
Glen Foreman
December 13, 2008 04:00pm
Never in history has Australia stood on the brink of such domination of a track and field discipline as it does now.
And the country's path to success can be followed back to WA.
Pole vault and Australia became synonymous to many this year with Steve Hooker's Olympic Record jump for gold at Beijing.
But the world was gravely mistaken if it thought the Aussies' success leapt to its peak with Hooker.
In the next four years, Australia is set to unleash a depth of pole vault talent that is expected to produce a massive medal haul in London.
Look at it this way - Russian Sergey Bubka dominated pole vault for a decade and still holds the world record of 6.14m. American vaulter Jeff Hartwig was competing at world level this year at 40-years-old.
WA Institute of Sport (WAIS) athletes Paul Burgess and Hooker were ranked No.1 and No.2 in the world in 2006. Both are still in their 20s.
Victorian Blake Lucas, 18, increased his personal best by 30cm to take the vault at the Commonwealth Youth Games in India this year.
Alana Boyd, 24, is already an Olympian after heading to Beijing in August.
WA's Vicki Parnov is already competing at senior events at 18 and jumped an Olympic B-Qualifier in March. Her sister Liz, 14, is hot on her heels with a 4.05m PB - only 35cm off her older sibling.
But behind every great athlete is a great coach - and sometimes there's more than one.
Victoria's Mark Stewart has rapidly gained the reputation as being one of the best development coaches Australian pole vault has seen.
And WAIS's Alex Parnov, father of Vicki and Liz, is arguably the sport's greatest head coach in the world.
What this means is that at both London and the 2016 Olympics, Australia will have the potential to hit new heights by claiming gold, silver and bronze in both the men's and women's pole vault.
It is a feat that the nation has never even had a small chance of achieving - let alone a genuine one.
And it's largely thanks to pole vault's home - WA.
Glen Foreman
December 13, 2008 04:00pm
Never in history has Australia stood on the brink of such domination of a track and field discipline as it does now.
And the country's path to success can be followed back to WA.
Pole vault and Australia became synonymous to many this year with Steve Hooker's Olympic Record jump for gold at Beijing.
But the world was gravely mistaken if it thought the Aussies' success leapt to its peak with Hooker.
In the next four years, Australia is set to unleash a depth of pole vault talent that is expected to produce a massive medal haul in London.
Look at it this way - Russian Sergey Bubka dominated pole vault for a decade and still holds the world record of 6.14m. American vaulter Jeff Hartwig was competing at world level this year at 40-years-old.
WA Institute of Sport (WAIS) athletes Paul Burgess and Hooker were ranked No.1 and No.2 in the world in 2006. Both are still in their 20s.
Victorian Blake Lucas, 18, increased his personal best by 30cm to take the vault at the Commonwealth Youth Games in India this year.
Alana Boyd, 24, is already an Olympian after heading to Beijing in August.
WA's Vicki Parnov is already competing at senior events at 18 and jumped an Olympic B-Qualifier in March. Her sister Liz, 14, is hot on her heels with a 4.05m PB - only 35cm off her older sibling.
But behind every great athlete is a great coach - and sometimes there's more than one.
Victoria's Mark Stewart has rapidly gained the reputation as being one of the best development coaches Australian pole vault has seen.
And WAIS's Alex Parnov, father of Vicki and Liz, is arguably the sport's greatest head coach in the world.
What this means is that at both London and the 2016 Olympics, Australia will have the potential to hit new heights by claiming gold, silver and bronze in both the men's and women's pole vault.
It is a feat that the nation has never even had a small chance of achieving - let alone a genuine one.
And it's largely thanks to pole vault's home - WA.
