Hooker Edges Closer to World Record

Western Australian Institute of Sport pole vaulter Steve Hooker jumped the second highest height in history over the weekend, in the process edging closer to Sergei Bubka’s world mark of 6.15m.

Hooker, in just his second competition since the Olympic Games last August, jumped an impressive 6.06m at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games to set newa Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth record as well as breaking his week old personal best of 6.01m.

Following his 6.06m clearance he set the bar at 6.16m to attemptto break Bubka’sworld recordfor the second time in a week. The Beijing Gold Medallist again came close on his third attempt, knocking off the bar with his arm on the way over.

“I’m really happy that there is no one between Bubka and I now,” Hooker told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“I’m really excited by clearing 6.06 metres. It was a massive benchmark for me. I’m looking forward to fitting a few more competitions in the next couple of weeks and I think I can go higher.”

The jump bettered the previous Australian, Oceania and Commonwealth records, and second highestjump in history, of 6.05m, which was set by former WAIS pole vaulter Dmitri Markov at the 2001 World Championships.

The significance of breaking the record of the WAIS trailblazer was not lost on Hooker.

“I remember watching Dmitri jump 6.05m in Edmonton and it was the most unbelievable thing I’d seen,”the Olympic championsaid to The Sydney Morning Herald.

“To do it in a major championship . . . He is one of the greatest vaulters of all time and to have beaten his record is an amazing feeling.”

Fellow WAIS malepole vaulter Paul Burgess also competed in Boston and finished fifth, with a best jump of 5.37m, while female pole vaulter Vicky Parnov no heighted after being unable to clear the starting height of4.02m.

Hooker’s next chance to eclipse Bubka’s world mark will be in France at the Paris Indoors on Friday.