Hooker Ready for Swiss Campaign

Published On: 7 July 2010

Clear: Steve Hooker will be looking for the podium in Switzerland

World champions Steve Hooker (WAIS) and Dani Samuels return to the IAAF Diamond League arena Thursday night when the two stars of international track and field join nine fellow world champions, eight Olympic champions and six world indoor champions in Round 7 of the 14-meet series in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Joining the world title-holders in action at the Swiss edition of the all-new tour will be Beijing Olympian and national javelin champion Jarrod Bannister on his Diamond League debut.

Following a confidence-boosting win at Germany’s European championships trials in Wattenscheid (GER) last month, Hooker will be hoping form is again on his side when he takes to the field tomorrow night.

With appearances on the Shanghai, Oslo and New York stopovers of the series already under his belt, Hooker will enter the fourth of seven pole vault events on the all-new Diamond League calendar in search of a second successive podium finish and a share of the Diamond Race points up for grabs on the Lausanne runway.

Standing in his way will be world championships bronze medallist and Diamond Race leader Renaud Lavillenie (FRA), world championships silver medallist Malte Mohr (GER) and Berlin world titles finalists Romain Mesnil (FRA), Damiel Dossevi (FRA), Giuseppe Gibilisco (ITA), Maksym Mazuryk (UKR) and Alexander Straub (GER), setting up an almighty challenge for the reigning world, Olympic, world indoor and Commonwealth Games champion.

Fellow world title-holder Dani Samuels will also face a tough assignment when she returns to the Diamond League fold, on a collision course with Diamond Race leader Sandra Perkovic (CRO), world championships silver medallist Yarelis Barrios (CUB) and fellow Berlin finalists Stephanie Brown Trafton (USA), Zaneta Glanc (POL) and Aretha Thurmond (USA).

– Athletics Australia