31.01.2009

Hooker soars to personal best in New York

Beijing Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker has opened his 2009 campaign on the best possible note, posting a new personal best and clearing the magical six metre mark for the second time in his career at the 102nd Millrose Games in New York today.

Returning to competition for the first time since that remarkable night at the Bird’s Nest in August, Hooker’s winning clearance of 6.01m was the equal sixth highest jump of all time, the highest ever indoors in the United States and the best indoors in the world for seven years.

The leap is also a new Australian indoor record, Hooker adding 20cm to the 5.81m he produced in Boston in 2007.

For the first time in his career, Hooker also challenged Sergey Bubka’s long standing world indoor record of 6.15m set back in 1993. The bar was raised to 6.16m, and despite three very close attempts and the support of the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd behind him, the 26-year-old just came up short.

Only three men - Bubka, Russian Radion Gataullin and American Jeff Hartwig (both with 6.02m) - have jumped higher indoors.

It was a case of history repeating itself for Hooker, who also cleared the six-metre mark for the first time in his opening meet of 2008, an omen which he hopes will put him in good stead for the coming year and the IAAF World Championships in Berlin.

Although the West Australian is hesitant to pinpoint when Bubka’s record may eventually fall, tonight’s effort has given him the confidence that the elusive mark is within his reach.

“I’m really happy to have jumped a personal best at my first competition of the year,” Hooker said. “My jump at 6.01m felt really good, and my first thought was to have a go at Bubka’s world record.”

“Given it was my first ever attempt at that height, it was a bit messy, but on my second and third attempt I felt that I was really close. All I probably needed was one more pole to have enough height.

“To have such good jumps at the world record, is very exciting and very surprising.

"I felt really good tonight. They have these massive 500ml cans of Red Bull over here and I drank a can of that earlier today to help me get over my jet lag. Maybe that’s why I jumped so welll!”

Hooker will next take to the runway this Saturday night at the Reebok Indoor Games in Boston, before journeying to Europe to compete in Paris, Donetsk and Stockholm ahead of his Australian competitions against Olympic silver medallist Yvegeniy Lukyanenko in Sydney and Melbourne.

In other Australian results, Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan clocked 7.96 seconds in the 60m hurdles on her indoor debut, only one hundredths of a second behind eventual winner and Beijing bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (7.95) of Canada.

The 22-year-old got out well from the blocks, pulling away to a slight lead, however Lopes-Schliep’s speed between the hurdles paid dividends, drawing the Queenslander back in the closing stages to steal victory.

World youth champion Vicky Parnov registered 4.08m in the women’s pole vault, whilst Paul Burgess no heighted in the men’s event.

Don't miss footage of Hooker's personal best leap in the video gallery here.

Further reports:

Hooker closes on Bubka's record - Jenny McAsey, The Australian
Hooker at his best against odds - Dan Silkstone, The Age
Hooker scales 6.01m, scares World record in New York's Millrose Games -  Parker Morse for the IAAF