Hooker Wins in London GP as World Champs Loom

Published On: 26 July 2009

Steve Hooker

WAIS scholarship holder Steve Hooker stepped up his preparations for next month’s IAAF Athletics World Championships by winning the pole vault competition at the London Grand Prix.

Just three weeks out from the year’s biggest event in Berlin, Hooker showed with a “bittersweet kind of result” that he would be a serious contender for the World Championship crown.

“I am happy to get the win but obviously would like to jump bigger,” said the Beijing Olympic gold medallist.

Hooker claimed the win on a countback, after both he and American Derek Miles missed their three attempts on 5.84m.

Fellow WAIS pole vault athlete Paul Burgess cleared 5.40m before coming unstuck at 5.55m, which was the height that Hooker entered the competition. Hooker made significant clearances over 5.55m and 5.70m at the first attempt, before a change in weather conditions made jumping more difficult.

“At the first few heights I was jumping well but then the conditions dropped off and it was hard to maintain that,”‘ said the reigning WAIS Athlete of the Year.

Despite the winning jump of 5.70m being well short of his best of 6.06m, Hooker believes the grand prix meet in London has helped build his campaign for Berlin.

“We are likely to get similar conditions in Berlin. Berlin’s a big stadium with swirly winds. It’s good to compete in these conditions and figure out what you need to do.”

WAIS javelin athlete Kim Mickle threw the first sub 60m event of her European tour in finishing third at the London Grand Prix.

2009 has proven to be something of a watershed year for Mickle after two years restricted by injury, the 24 year-old has surged into the top ten ranking to currently sit eighth, with the 2006 Commonwealth Games representative considered a dark horse contender in Berlin.

WAIS athlete Ben Offereins has been included into Australia’s 4x400m relay team to compete at the World Championships in Beijing. The 22 year-old has been in strong form recently, highlighted by a personal best time of 45.69secs on the Gold Coast in June.