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Hooker and Samuels on podium in Lausanne
World champions Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels led the Australian charge at Round 7 of the Diamond League in Lausanne (SUI) overnight, Hooker placing second with 5.80m in a thrilling men's pole vault whilst Samuels threw 62.05m for third in the women's discus throw.
The current world, world indoor, Commonwealth and Olympic champion, Hooker entered the competition at 5.60m, clearing this height and 5.80m with ease on his first attempt. Malte Mohr (GER) joined him with a first-time clearance and new personal best at 5.80m, as 2009 Berlin world championships silver medallist Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) passed.
Hooker joined the passing game in the next round, Lavillenie and Mohr each taking three attempts at 5.85m, a height that only the Frenchman negotiated. Lavillenie passed at 5.90m leaving Hooker solo at a new height he was unable to negotiate, the West Australian settling for second place.
“I wasn’t really happy with my 5.60 and 5.80 jumps, a couple of better jumps as the height increased would have been nice” Hooker said.
“That’s the first time I have jumped on that pole this season though so that’s a real positive, and tonight was definitely my best Diamond League result of the season which is no doubt a step in the right direction”
Making her second appearance on the Diamond League circuit having placed second with a 64.67m best effort in Doha (QAT) during May, Samuels once again faced off with Yarelis Barrios (CUB).
Opening her account with 61.07m and 60.79m to sit in fourth after two rounds, Samuels found her feet in the third round with a 62.05m heave. Two fouls followed for the 22-year-old as Barrios (65.92m in the first round) and Becky Breisch (USA) (64.53m in the first round) struggled to match their openers.
Barrios’ opening heave of 65.92m was enough to hold onto the win, ahead of Breisch (64.53m) and Samuels (62.05m).
"You can always count on Yarelis (Barrios) to throw big rain hail or shine, they had a monsoon in Madrid last week and she still threw 65m, she’s just so consistent at that level,” the ever gracious Samuels said.
"Each time I threw different technically, one was too slow, one I sunk, something different happened every time.”
“I was happy with my third though, 62m is OK.”
In other Australian results, Jarrod Bannister made a successful return to the European runway with a second round throw of 81.33m in the men's javelin to place sixth behind Olympic and World champion Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR).
On the track, Usain Bolt (JAM) ran a controlled 9.82 (w: +0.5) in the men’s 100m, Bershawn Jackson (USA) took line honours in the 400m hurdles crossing the line in 47.62 and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (CAN) won a tight women’s 100m hurdles in 12.56 (w: +0.3).
The Diamond League now move to Gateshead (GBR) this Saturday, July 10, with world indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre and fellow Commonwealth Games nominee Chris Noffke flying the Australian flag in the long jump.
To view all the results from Round 7 of the Diamond League click here.
With thanks to Pat Birgan.
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