Triple Olympian Paul Burgess Retires

[Bubba PV]

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/others ... public_rss

Triple Olympian pole vaulter Paul Burgess announces retirement
EXCLUSIVE: Glen Foreman From: The Sunday Times November 13, 2010 6:00PM


LAST JUMP: Former world No.1 and triple Olympian pole vaulter Paul Burgess has announced his retirement. Picture: Daniel Wilkins. Source: PerthNow
ABOUT 30 people watched from the stands of Perry Lakes Stadium in 2005 as pole vaulter Paul Burgess cleared the prestigious height of 6m, enshrining his name in the sport's history books.

It was the moment the former world No.1 and triple Olympian listed as his most memorable as he announced his retirement to The Sunday Times.

"I can't explain what it meant to achieve that magical barrier I've realised that now and I'm grateful to be one of those people who've jumped that," Burgess said.

"To be honest, since I've stopped pole vaulting is the first time I've really appreciated what I've done."

Burgess has not hurtled down the runway in more than a year after a cruel run of injuries throughout his career sidelined him last July and battled with the idea of retirement for much of 2010.

Those injuries eventually took their toll not physically but mentally and the dual Commonwealth silver medallist made the difficult decision to step away from the sport.

"As soon as you start feeling beaten, you're pretty much done for," he said.

"And I felt like at those times I could turn it around, but I couldn't necessarily be bothered not in a negative way, but in the way that I'd prefer to enjoy other things."

Burgess's career began in the unlikely setting of the WA Institute of Sport gymnasium in 1988, where, after outgrowing the sport, he was identified for the budding pole vault program.

He built a glittering career that peaked in 2006 when, a year after becoming the 11th man in history to clear 6m, he and training partner Steve Hooker developed a close friendship through their battle for No.1 ranking.

"Steve and I were neck-and-neck the whole year, pushing each other; we were one and two in the world," Burgess said.

"It was such an amazing time for Australian pole vault and that's testament to (Alex Parnov's) genius as a coach."

Burgess reflected on his career with brutal honesty, shouldering much of the blame for the injuries that denied him an Olympic medal. But the man nicknamed "Budgie" had no regrets.

"I would've loved to have got (an Olympic gold medal)," he said. "But it's not like I was ever supposed to get a medal and somebody stole it from me the medal was never mine, I never owned it."

Burgess will focus on his personal training business Trackfit.com.au and a potential career in the media.

[tsorenson]

He was a powerful vaulter...fun to watch. There are some good clips of his vaulting on stabhochsprung.com if anybody hasn't seen them already.
here's one of him crushing 5.92. May take a few seconds to load.
http://www.stabhoch.com/movies/20060709_Burgess_592.mov

[joebro391]

One of my favs. I wonder what it would take to find video of his 5.30 3-left vault. -6P