Home » News and Media » News » 2009 » August » Gutsy gold to Hooker in Berlin
23.08.2009
Hooker, 27, who required a local anaesthetic to take to the start line, cleared 5.90m to secure the win and join fellow Flame Dani Samuels (discus throw) on Australia's world championships honour roll.
On a successful day for Australia at Berlin's Olympic Stadium the team captain was joined in the medals by Flame young gun Mitchell Watt, who claimed third in the men's long jump.
Entering the competition at 5.85m Hooker missed his first attempt then passed on that height before sailing over 5.90m in the next round to seal victory.
Hooker, who was rated a fifty-fifty chance to compete in Berlin after tearing his adductor muscle just five days out from the championships, was administered a local anaesthetic just prior to competition to enable him to take to the start line.
The team captain joins Dmitri Markov as one of two Australian pole vault world champions, Markov claiming gold in Edmonton in 2001.
An emotional Hooker said the win was the ultimate end to a challenging few weeks.
"It's just weird, it's very difficult to explain," he said.
"It's a mental battle you have to fight with yourself and you have to convince yourself that you're ready; you're ready to pick up the massive competition pole that's going to throw you nearly six metres in the air. You've got to convince yourself that you're ready to do an impressive jump with the stands very close in and you've got to be prepared to take that risk and lucky for me I knew prior to this injury I'd done such fantastic training and what great shape I was in.
"There was one specific training session, the one before I got hurt, where on the pole I jumped on today I jumped a 5.90m-high bar and I knew I had it in me so I could go out there with confidence that that was the right pole, I had the right run-up and if I could just get down the runway it would be enough."
Such was the extent of his injury it was not until the final countdown to the event that Hooker was confident of taking his place in the final.
"Honestly, early on I thought there was no way I was going to jump, my hip was very sore," he said.
"I went in and got a little jab from the doctor when the boys were jumping at 5.65m and when that kicked in I thought maybe I was a chance at jumping.
"It's been a very, very challenging couple of weeks, I've tried to be as honest as possible with everyone through that process. You've all been through that journey with me and it's probably seemed like a rollercoaster to you but believe me, it's been 10 times as bad from my perspective.
"Every day was a question of whether or not I'd jump and going to sleep at night wasn't the easiest thing, I've been sleeping like hell but good people around me have helped me make smart decisions and that's what got me through."
The Beijing gold medallist said the trying experience would hold him in good stead in future years.
"I think I've proven something to myself by this working out the way it has," Hooker said.
"I know I've got a lot more in me and I know if I can do jumps like this under these circumstances then when I'm healthy, when I've got good conditions, massive jumps are not out of the question and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do in the next year.
Watch the post-event interview with Steve Hooker here
Earlier in the night in the long jump pit 21-year-old Mitchell Watt cleared 8.37m on his fifth attempt to stitch up the bronze medal in that event and become Australia's youngest ever male medallist at a world championships.
Opening his campaign with a leap of 8.28m (w:-0.2) to send him into second place, Watt fouled his next three attempts before hitting 8.37m (w:-0.4) in the fifth round to secure bronze.
The medal-winning leap was the second best of Watt's career, bettered only by the 8.43m (w:+2.0) he recorded in Rethymno, Greece, in July.
The result is the best finish by an Australian long jumper in world championships history, surpassing national record-holder Jai Taurima's fourth place in Seville in 1999.
Watt, who made a return to the sport just last year following a five-year absence, was ecstatic with the result.
“It’s so weird, I was walking out today and looking at the medal podium but I didn’t think I would be up there in about 10 minutes' time," he said.
"It’s just amazing. I was really happy with my first three jumps, I really took the pressure off myself and took a bit of a risk in later rounds. It took a couple of attempts to get it but 8.37m is not far from my PB and it was into a headwind as well so it’s awesome, I’m just very happy.
"I knew if I jumped at my best I could get on the podium and I did.”
Watch the post-event interview with Mitchell Watt here
Fellow Australian Fabrice Lapierre finished fourth in the decider with a best leap of 8.21m, which he hit in Rounds 1 (w:0.1) and 5 (w:-0.2) to cap a remarkable year for the New South Welshman.
Defending champion Irving Saladino (PAN) was eliminated from contention in the third round, the gold medal eventually taken out by Dwight Phillips (USA) with a leap of 8.54m (w:0.1) and silver awarded to African sensation Godfrey Mokoena with 8.47m (w:0.1).
Lapierre, who entered the final on the back of a stellar European campaign, was philosophical about his performance.
“It’s always open, all it takes is just one jump and I just couldn’t get that one jump today," he said.
“I felt great, everything was fine. I gt a little tired towards the end with so many jumps over 8.20m but it felt good.”
Watch the post-event interview with Fabrice Lapierre here
Also on day eight, Australia's World Marathon Cup team of Martin Dent, Andrew Letherby, Mark Tucker and Scott Westcott placed eighth overall in the teams event.
Dent was the best-placed of the Australians over the gruelling 42.195km course, crossing the line in 2:16.05 for 21st place and followed by Letherby with a season's best 2:17.29 in 30th, Tucker with a season's best 2:21.57 in 47th and Westcott with 2:26.02 in 58th.
Watch the post-race interview with Martin Dent here
Watch the post-race interview with Andrew Letherby here
Watch the post-race interview with Mark Tucker here
Watch the post-race interview with Scott Westcott here
In the qualifying rounds of the 4x400m relay Australia's men's team of Joel Milburn, Ben Offereins, Tristan Thomas and Sean Wroe advanced to today's final as fourth-fastest qualifiers with a time of 3:02.04.
Watch the post-race interview with the men's 4x400m relay team here
The women's team of Jody Henry, Tamsyn Lewis, Caitlin Pincott and Pirrenee Steinert did not survive the qualifying rounds, bowing out with a time of 3:30.80 to sit 11th overall.
The final day of action at Berlin's Olympic Stadium will see the men's 4x400m relay team return to the track for the deciding round and Collis Birmingham in the final of the men's 5000m. Early in the day Lisa Weightman will fly the flag for Australia in the women's marathon.
News
Gutsy gold to Hooker in Berlin
Olympic champion Steve Hooker has become Australia's second gold medallist of the 12th IAAF world championships, taking out the men's pole vault crown overnight.Hooker, 27, who required a local anaesthetic to take to the start line, cleared 5.90m to secure the win and join fellow Flame Dani Samuels (discus throw) on Australia's world championships honour roll.
On a successful day for Australia at Berlin's Olympic Stadium the team captain was joined in the medals by Flame young gun Mitchell Watt, who claimed third in the men's long jump.
Entering the competition at 5.85m Hooker missed his first attempt then passed on that height before sailing over 5.90m in the next round to seal victory.
Hooker, who was rated a fifty-fifty chance to compete in Berlin after tearing his adductor muscle just five days out from the championships, was administered a local anaesthetic just prior to competition to enable him to take to the start line.
The team captain joins Dmitri Markov as one of two Australian pole vault world champions, Markov claiming gold in Edmonton in 2001.
An emotional Hooker said the win was the ultimate end to a challenging few weeks.
"It's just weird, it's very difficult to explain," he said.
"It's a mental battle you have to fight with yourself and you have to convince yourself that you're ready; you're ready to pick up the massive competition pole that's going to throw you nearly six metres in the air. You've got to convince yourself that you're ready to do an impressive jump with the stands very close in and you've got to be prepared to take that risk and lucky for me I knew prior to this injury I'd done such fantastic training and what great shape I was in.
"There was one specific training session, the one before I got hurt, where on the pole I jumped on today I jumped a 5.90m-high bar and I knew I had it in me so I could go out there with confidence that that was the right pole, I had the right run-up and if I could just get down the runway it would be enough."
Such was the extent of his injury it was not until the final countdown to the event that Hooker was confident of taking his place in the final.
"Honestly, early on I thought there was no way I was going to jump, my hip was very sore," he said.
"I went in and got a little jab from the doctor when the boys were jumping at 5.65m and when that kicked in I thought maybe I was a chance at jumping.
"It's been a very, very challenging couple of weeks, I've tried to be as honest as possible with everyone through that process. You've all been through that journey with me and it's probably seemed like a rollercoaster to you but believe me, it's been 10 times as bad from my perspective.
"Every day was a question of whether or not I'd jump and going to sleep at night wasn't the easiest thing, I've been sleeping like hell but good people around me have helped me make smart decisions and that's what got me through."
The Beijing gold medallist said the trying experience would hold him in good stead in future years.
"I think I've proven something to myself by this working out the way it has," Hooker said.
"I know I've got a lot more in me and I know if I can do jumps like this under these circumstances then when I'm healthy, when I've got good conditions, massive jumps are not out of the question and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do in the next year.
Watch the post-event interview with Steve Hooker here
Earlier in the night in the long jump pit 21-year-old Mitchell Watt cleared 8.37m on his fifth attempt to stitch up the bronze medal in that event and become Australia's youngest ever male medallist at a world championships.
Opening his campaign with a leap of 8.28m (w:-0.2) to send him into second place, Watt fouled his next three attempts before hitting 8.37m (w:-0.4) in the fifth round to secure bronze.
The medal-winning leap was the second best of Watt's career, bettered only by the 8.43m (w:+2.0) he recorded in Rethymno, Greece, in July.
The result is the best finish by an Australian long jumper in world championships history, surpassing national record-holder Jai Taurima's fourth place in Seville in 1999.
Watt, who made a return to the sport just last year following a five-year absence, was ecstatic with the result.
“It’s so weird, I was walking out today and looking at the medal podium but I didn’t think I would be up there in about 10 minutes' time," he said.
"It’s just amazing. I was really happy with my first three jumps, I really took the pressure off myself and took a bit of a risk in later rounds. It took a couple of attempts to get it but 8.37m is not far from my PB and it was into a headwind as well so it’s awesome, I’m just very happy.
"I knew if I jumped at my best I could get on the podium and I did.”
Watch the post-event interview with Mitchell Watt here
Fellow Australian Fabrice Lapierre finished fourth in the decider with a best leap of 8.21m, which he hit in Rounds 1 (w:0.1) and 5 (w:-0.2) to cap a remarkable year for the New South Welshman.
Defending champion Irving Saladino (PAN) was eliminated from contention in the third round, the gold medal eventually taken out by Dwight Phillips (USA) with a leap of 8.54m (w:0.1) and silver awarded to African sensation Godfrey Mokoena with 8.47m (w:0.1).
Lapierre, who entered the final on the back of a stellar European campaign, was philosophical about his performance.
“It’s always open, all it takes is just one jump and I just couldn’t get that one jump today," he said.
“I felt great, everything was fine. I gt a little tired towards the end with so many jumps over 8.20m but it felt good.”
Watch the post-event interview with Fabrice Lapierre here
Also on day eight, Australia's World Marathon Cup team of Martin Dent, Andrew Letherby, Mark Tucker and Scott Westcott placed eighth overall in the teams event.
Dent was the best-placed of the Australians over the gruelling 42.195km course, crossing the line in 2:16.05 for 21st place and followed by Letherby with a season's best 2:17.29 in 30th, Tucker with a season's best 2:21.57 in 47th and Westcott with 2:26.02 in 58th.
Watch the post-race interview with Martin Dent here
Watch the post-race interview with Andrew Letherby here
Watch the post-race interview with Mark Tucker here
Watch the post-race interview with Scott Westcott here
In the qualifying rounds of the 4x400m relay Australia's men's team of Joel Milburn, Ben Offereins, Tristan Thomas and Sean Wroe advanced to today's final as fourth-fastest qualifiers with a time of 3:02.04.
Watch the post-race interview with the men's 4x400m relay team here
The women's team of Jody Henry, Tamsyn Lewis, Caitlin Pincott and Pirrenee Steinert did not survive the qualifying rounds, bowing out with a time of 3:30.80 to sit 11th overall.
The final day of action at Berlin's Olympic Stadium will see the men's 4x400m relay team return to the track for the deciding round and Collis Birmingham in the final of the men's 5000m. Early in the day Lisa Weightman will fly the flag for Australia in the women's marathon.
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