From Nationals in Perth to the Commonwealth Games in Dehli

(Monday, 19 April 2010)

Nationals:

Reigning Commonwealth, Olympic, world and world indoor champion Steve Hooker added national honours to the list of current titles in his collection, taking out gold in front of his home crowd with a leap of 5.80m.

“It was good conditions to jump high today so I’m a little bit disappointed that I didn’t jump as high as I maybe could have,” Hooker said.

“Every time I go out there I’m trying to jump as hard as I can, I’m not worried about who l’m jumping against, it’s just trying to do the best jump that I can do and hopefully that gets me to big heights.”
 

Athletics Australia Awards:

World champion Steve Hooker tonight capped off his outstanding year in track and field by being named Athletics Australia’s Male Athlete of the Year at the annual awards gala at the Rendezvous Observation City Hotel in Perth.

Just hours after taking out his third senior national pole vault crown Hooker was tonight recognised as the most successful Australian male athlete of the 2009/10 track and field year, highlighted by world championships gold in Berlin (GER) in August and world indoor championships glory in Doha (QAT) last month.

The 27-year-old captain of the Australian Flame was also named the inaugural Flame Athlete of the Year, nominated by members of the Australian Flame and awarded by the Athletes’ Commission, for his outstanding contribution to the senior international team. Other nominees for the award included Jody Henry, Fabrice Lapierre, Sally McLellan and Madeleine Pape.

On a stellar night for the Commonwealth, Olympic, world and world indoor champion, Hooker was also awarded Athletics International’s International Athlete of the Year for 2009/10 for his all-conquering efforts on the world stage.

Commonwealth Games

Newly-crowned national pole vault champion and athletics team captain Steve Hooker (pole vault) will lead a squad that features a true mix of youth and experience into battle in Delhi, with Liz Parnov (pole vault) the youngest athlete nominated to today’s team at 15 years of age and track veteran Patrick Johnson (4x100m relay) the oldest at 37.

Hooker, whose all-conquering spate of pole vault victories commenced with the Commonwealth Games title in Melbourne in 2006, will join fellow nominees John Steffensen (400m, 4x400m relay) and Scott Martin (shot put, discus throw) in defence of their Commonwealth crowns this October. The Australian men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams will also defend their titles in Delhi.

Hooker was one of six athletes nominated to the team earned automatic entry following their top-eight performances at the IAAF world championships in Berlin in 2009. Other athletes include Dani Samuels (discus throw), Mitchell Watt (long jump), Fabrice Lapierre (long jump), Sally McLellan (100m hurdles) and Jared Tallent (20km walk). Marathon runner Lisa Weightman gained automatic nomination via her top-20 finish at the same titles.

With thanks to Athletics Australia.