Asia-Pacific News
Steve Hooker's vaulting ambition hits mental block
Feb 8, 2012, 22:59 GMT
Sydney - Olympic pole vaulting champion Steve Hooker said Thursday that a fear of being airborne would keep him out of competition this domestic season and away from the Australian Olympic trials in March.
'The confidence I require to stand at the end of the runway and then charge down, land my pole and soar almost 6 metres has left me for the time being,' Australia's only concurrent Olympic and world champion wrote in The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
'Missing next month's Olympic trials in Melbourne is a big risk because I'm not qualified for London, but I feel with three months of training under my belt I will be better prepared in May to take on that challenge.'
At the Beijing Olympics, Hooker clinched the gold medal with a jump of 5.9 metres before clearing 5.96 metres to set an Olympic record.
Hooker did not progress to the final at the world championships held in August in Daegu, South Korea.
Link: http://www.stevehooker.com.au/biography.php
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