Vicky Parnov: taking it in her stride

For an athlete who has achieved so much in such little time, attending media conferences with the elite of the sport is just another day at the office for Vicky Parnov.

So today, on the eve of the 12^th IAAF World Junior Championships, last year’s world youth pole vault gold medalist was in her element as one of five star athletes competing in Bydgoszcz invited to front the eagerly awaiting media at the official media conference. Amongst the other athletes interviewed were world junior 800m record holder Abubaker Kaki of Sudan (PB 1:42.69) and 10.11s 100m runner Yohan Blake from Jamaica.

1:42.69 and 10.11 is serious running for any athlete, let alone junior ones. But Parnov was not invited to the media conference just to be a pretty face – she had earned an invitation by way of a bronze medal in the last edition of the world juniors in Beijing, gold last year at the world youth championships in Ostrava and a towering 4.40m personal best.

When asked about the ambitions she holds for the competition in the newly refurbished Zawisza stadium, Parnov answered with the level headedness required for the vertigo inducing event in which she competes.

“I’m pretty confident about the competition, but I’m not setting myself any big goals like winning the gold,” said Parnov.

“I’m just going to come here and try my best.”

Parnov will not have the event entirely to herself, with Valeriya Volik from Parnov’s native Russia having matched the West Australia’s personal best of 4.40m earlier this year. Then there is always the X factor which can influence the pole vault.

“I think that things can just happen,” said Parnov of the unpredictable nature of vaulting.

At last year’s world youth championships Parnov was faced with the position which turns even the most confident proponents of the event into a nervous bundle of energy; with easily the best PB in the field Parnov, was left to clear her opening height of the qualifying round on her third attempt or face elimination from the competition.

“I didn’t plan for that to happen last year,” she said.

“You just have to deal with it when it happens in a championship.”

It is that sort of experience which will make Parnov a formidable foe come Friday’s final.

When she stares down the runway on the inside of the top bend of the track ready to compete, Parnov will seek to join an exclusive club currently occupied only by world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva; the Russian is the only person to win the world youth / world junior double in the pole vault.

As if that isn’t enough of a motivation for the aspiring young athlete, words of encouragement from one of the sport’s greatest ever athletes surely is. Sergey Bubka, the 35-time world record holder and now IAAF Senior Vice-President, offered the following insight.

“World juniors is a very important event for young talent to get opportunity to get experience. It is a key test for their future careers.”

The world junior championships commence tomorrow. Vicky Parnov competes in the qualifying round of the pole vault on Wednesday, with the final being contested on Friday.

With thanks to Tim McGrath in Bydgoszcz