Stockholm - Hooker 5.86, Gerasimov, Jeng 5.81

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.iaaf.org/WIM09/news/newsid=49350.html

Another full house in Stockholm expects Hooker to fly high - PREVIEW

Steve Hooker at the pre-meeting press conference in Stockholm (Lennart Julin)
relnews

Stockholm, Sweden - The "GE Galan" in the Globe Arena in Stockholm celebrates it 20th edition on Wednesday. At the premier on 24 February 1990 the arena was sold out (10,000+ spectators) and the meet has drawn a full house almost every year since then. Looking at the line-up for Wednesday’s (18) upcoming edition the likeliness of any empty seats is very low also this year.

The GE Galan is an IAAF Indoor permit meeting.

The main international attraction is Australian Pole Vaulter Steve Hooker who unquestionably has been "The man of the season" so far: Coming into Stockholm he has had four competitions, won all of them and attempted the World record height of 6.16 in all of them!

But Hooker himself didn't admit to being on any serious record chase:

"My attitude is the same as it has been before: To go out there and have fun without any specific expectations. I don't think I have been that close in any of the record attempts. But it has just been nice to feel what it is like to jump at a bar like that!"

Although Hooker has been on fire this winter the men's Pole Vault is certainly not the only – or even the strongest – World record possibility on Wednesday night.

[rainbowgirl28]

M Pole Vault,

Pos Name Born Nat Res
1 Steven Hooker 82 AUS 5.86
2 Pavel Gerasimov 79 RUS 5.81 PB
3 Alhaji Jeng 81 SWE 5.81 NR
4 Giovanni Lanaro 81 MEX 5.71
5 Derek Miles 72 USA 5.71
6 Steven Lewis 86 GBR 5.61
7 Paul Burgess 79 AUS 5.51
Yevgeniy Lukyanenko 85 RUS x

5.21 5.36 5.51 5.61 5.71 5.81 5.86 5.91 6.00
Paul Burgess - o o xxx
Steven Lewis - o xo xo xxx
Giovanni Lanaro - o - o xo xxx
Pavel Gerasimov - - o o xo o xxx
Derek Miles - - xxo - xxo xxx
Yevgeniy Lukyanenko - - xxx
Alhaji Jeng - - o o o xxo - xxx
Steven Hooker - - o - xo - xxo - xx

[KirkB]

I'm really impressed with Hooker's CLUTCH vaulting!

No matter where he goes or what the competition is, he always seems to pull thru with 3rd-attempt clearances!

Kirk

[bjvando]

ya! Hooker takes more jumps in a single meet then most elite vaulters.. very interesting..


Gotta give props to Giovanni Lanaro (cal state fullerton alumni) 5.71 season best!

VIVA LA GIO!

[KirkB]

I found a comment from Hooker on his blog ...

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/yoursay/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/steve_hooker_live_blog/

... about his 3rd attempts.

He was asked by "benny boy of Sydney" ...

Mate ... Your’e a legend. How do you always get over at the last attempt?

To be honest I’d rather be jujmping bars on the first attempt. It’s not really my plan to leave it to my third every time. I’ve learned to stay relaxed on third attempts now and I think that is the most important thing.

Steve Hooker
Fri 27 Feb 09 (10:59am)