World Champs Mens PV - Brad Walker wins!

News about pole vault competitions that occur outside the US and international pole vaulters.
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rainbowgirl28
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Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:49 am

A miss for Otto!!

Brad Walker is world champion!!!!
Mesnil silver and Ecker silver.

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Unread postby jcoover » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:49 am

awww too bad for the man with the pretty eyes, right becca? ;)
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Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:51 am

21:49 : Mesnil is out. Otto has the last jump at 5.91m, gold if he makes it.
21:50 : Otto misses. The vault is over, and Brad Walker has the gold on the strength of his first-attempt clearance at 5.86m. Mesnil, who cleared on his second try, will take silver. Ecker gets third at 5.81m.

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Unread postby Skyin' Brian » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:53 am

Best ever marks for place 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

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Unread postby master » Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:58 am

Code: Select all

Pos  Bib   Athletes     5.51   5.66   5.76   5.81   5.86   5.91
7    687   AVERBUKH     -      O      -      XXO    -      XXX
3    617   ECKER        O      O      -      O      X-     XX
6    958   LUKYANENKO   XO     O      O      XO     XXX     
9    338   HOOKER       O      -      O      -      XX-    X
1    1152  WALKER       O      O      X-     O      O      XXX
4    960   PAVLOV       XO     O      X-     O      XXX     
11   1074  MAZURYK      O      XXO    XXO    XXX           
8    636   LOBINGER     O      O      XO     XXO    XXX     
2    574   MESNIL       -      XO     -      O      XO     XXX
5    641   OTTO         O      O      -      XO     -      XXX
12   1079  YURCHENKO    O      XXO    X-     XX             
10   393   DA SILVA     O      XO     O      XXX                         

- master

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Unread postby patchdoggydogg » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:16 am

It was a phenomenal competition...wished you guys could've been here!

Becca, I tried to call you afterwards!

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Unread postby patchdoggydogg » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:18 am

...props to Jacob Pauli for Brad's haircut!

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Unread postby patchdoggydogg » Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:20 am

...courtesy USATF:

Walker wins first PV gold

The men's pole vault competition was one of the most closely contested in World Championships history. And although Americans have excelled on the Olympic level in the event, they had never taken gold at World Outdoors. Walker (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) changed that.

The 2005 silver medalist and 2007 world leader, Walker cleared 5.51m/18-1 and 5.66m/18-6.75 easily on his first attempts, but missed his first try at 5.76m/18-10.75 before passing on his remaining attempts at the height. Walker was focused on medaling, and a second- or third-attempt clearance at 5.76 would have been useless given that Steven Hooker of Australia, Yevgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia and Fabio Gomes Da Silva of Brazil all had cleared the height on their first attempts, and several others had passed the height entirely.

It proved to be a wise move, as Walker cleared 5.81m/19-0.75 on his first try, putting him back in the medal hunt. Eight men remained in the competition at 5.86m/19-2.75, including three others - Danny Ecker of Germany, Igor Pavlov of Russia and Romain Mesnil of France - who cleared 5.81 on their first attempts.

Walker seized control of the competition with a huge, first-attempt clearance at 5.86m, the first athlete to make the height. The 2006 European runner-up, Mesnil was the only other vaulter to clear, which he did on his second attempt. A total of six men took attempts at 5.91m/19-4.75, and while a few came close, none prevailed, giving Walker his first gold medal. Mesnil ended second and Ecker was third at 5.81m/19-0.75.

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Closest Competition Ever?

Unread postby roger/over » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:39 pm

As Skyin' Brian wrote, the men's competition provided the best-ever heights for 7th and 8th at 5.81, bettering the previous bests for this height by a centimeter, and best-ever 9th, 10th, and 11th at 5.76, bettering Tim Mack's best 9th at 5.75 and a six-way time for best 10th at 5.60m.

That today's placings 3rd through 11th were separated by only five centimeters (two inches) makes Osaka a cinch for closest major competition. However, the laurels for highest quality competition of all time probably go to the Tsiklitiria meet in Athens on 16 June 1999. Won by Tarasov at 6.05, the event also included all-time bests-for-place by Hartwig's second-place at 6.00, Markov's third at 6.00 and Lobinger's fourth at 5.86.

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Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:49 pm

Paul Merca
6606 49th Avenue South
Seattle, WA. 98118
206/499-4329

In Japan: 090-1726-4566 (cell)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-1 September 2007

FORMER WASHINGTON HUSKY BRAD WALKER WINS WORLD POLE VAULT TITLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-1 September 2007


OSAKA, Japan-Former University of Washington standout Brad Walker's gamble to pass at 18-10 3/4 after a first attempt miss paid dividends, as Walker won his first outdoor world championship Saturday under perfect jumping conditions clearing 19-2 3/4 before a packed house at Nagai Stadium.

Walker's victory in this event marked the first time that an American male emerged victorious in this event at the IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Additionally, Walker, whose win matches the world indoor title he won in Moscow last year, joins 1500 meter gold medalist Bernard Lagat as the second Washington state-affiliated athlete at these world championships to earn a gold medal.

The 2005 silver medalist and 2007 world leader, who attended University High School in Spokane, Walker cleared 18-1 and 18-6.75 easily on his first attempts, but missed his first try at 18-10.75 before passing on his remaining attempts at the height.

A second- or third-attempt clearance at 18-10 3/4 would have been useless, as Steven Hooker of Australia, Yevgeniy Lukyanenko of Russia and Fabio Gomes Da Silva of Brazil all made the height on their first attempts, and several others had passed the height entirely.

The gamble to pass was successful--Walker cleared 19-0.75 on his first try, putting him back in the medal hunt. Eight men remained in the competition at 19-2.75, including three others - Danny Ecker of Germany, Igor Pavlov of Russia and Romain Mesnil of France - who cleared 19-0 3/4 on their first attempts.

Describing the decision to pass after missing 18-10 3/4, Walker said, "It was one of those good misses. I knew I had the ability to clear 5.81 (19-0 3/4), and the first attempt make at 5.81 put me back in the lead. First attempt clearances in a major championship are a huge thing, and it puts stress on the other competitors. I think the 5.86 (19-2 3/4) first attempt clearance knocked the wind out of some people's sails, and I was lucky to get that jump".

The knockout punch Walker delivered on the competition at 19-2 3/4 made him the first athlete to make the height. Mesnil was the only other vaulter to clear the height on his second attempt, but he was behind Walker based on a earlier miss at 18-6 3/4, which ultimately proved the difference between the gold and silver medals.


Six men took attempts at 19-4.75, and while a few came close, none prevailed, giving Walker his first gold medal. Mesnil took second and Ecker was third at 19-0.75.

In an interview on Friday, Walker revealed that he had not touched a pole, and was unable to train properly between his last competition in Monte Carlo on July 25th, and Thursday's qualifying round of the pole vault, due to a lingering problem with two bulging discs in his back.

"I was gassed, and I had to dig pretty deep because my prep going into this meet wasn't exactly the way I would've liked it. I haven't lifted weights, and I'm a lot lighter than what I normally am. I have a couple of bulged discs, and it's been giving me a lot of pain, and I've had to back off the training," Walker said after the event.

Walker, who continues to train in Seattle at the Dempsey Indoor at the University of Washington, and helps the Huskies as a volunteer assistant coach, gave a lot of credit to his support crew in attendance in Osaka, including Husky jumps coach Pat Licari, agent Peter Stubbs, his girlfriend and former UW pole vaulter Carly Dockendorf, parents Diana & Thomas, and sister Tanya. 

Walker sported a Mohawk haircut Saturday night, along with two zig-zagged lines made to look like a lightning bolt on the side of his head, thanks to the work of fellow American vaulter Jacob Pauli, who didn't qualify for the finals.

"I have a really good record of jumping well after a haircut. We thought a lot of speedy lines would add some pizzazz. (The Mohawk) can be anything you want it to be", he said.

The final athlete competing with ties to the state of Washington competing will be Bernard Lagat in the men's 5000 meters on Sunday. That event is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 pm, Osaka time (11:30 pm Saturday night in Seattle). Lagat has already claimed a world title at 1500 meters earlier in the meet.

For more information on the IAAF World Track & Field Championships, please visit http://www.osaka2007.iaaf.org.

For more information on Washington state-affiliated athletes competing at the world championships in Osaka, please visit http://paulmerca.blogspot.com.

--end--

--
http://paulmerca.blogspot.com

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rainbowgirl28
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Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:24 pm


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rainbowgirl28
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Posts: 30435
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2002 1:59 pm
Expertise: Former College Vaulter, I coach and officiate as life allows
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Favorite Vaulter: Casey Carrigan
Location: A Temperate Island
Contact:

Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:19 am

Video of Brad's winning jump on the IAAF site: http://osaka2007.iaaf.org/tvradio/index.html


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