Hooker - Ready... Jetset... Go...

(Friday, 21 May 2010)

Reigning world, Olympic, world indoor and Commonwealth Games champion Steve Hooker will this weekend launch his IAAF Diamond League campaign in Shanghai, China, as the undisputed star of world pole vault takes his 2010 season on the road.

Commencing this Sunday night with Round 2 of the all-new Diamond League series, Hooker will embark on an 11-meet, 10-nation tour that will take him all the way to his Commonwealth Games title defence in New Delhi, India, in October.

The 11-meet world tour will include all seven Diamond League competitions that feature men’s pole vault on the program, with stops scheduled in Oslo (NOR, June 4), New York (USA, June 12), Lausanne (SUI, July 8), Paris (FRA, July 16), London (GBR, July 13-14) and Brussels (BEL, July 27).

In addition, Hooker will contest the Continental Cup in Split (CRO) from September 4-5, and the Great North City Games in Newcastle (GBR) from September 18-19 in the lead-up to the Delhi Games. He will again use Cologne in central-western Germany as his European base, the city proving a successful backdrop to his world championships build in 2009.

As the current caretaker of all four major international crowns, Hooker will start hot favourite at his first Diamond League hit-out in Shanghai this weekend, where he will face fellow world championships finalists Alexander Gripich (RUS), Maksym Mazuryk (UKR), Steven Lewis (GBR) and Malte Mohr (GER).

With thanks to Athletics Australia.