Forgive some (perhaps most?) for feeling just a bit stunned when Tim Mack captured the Olympic Pole Vault title in Athens. After all, prior to his win at July’s U.S. Olympic Trials, the only major prize in the then 31-year-old Cleveland, Ohio native’s trophy case was a gold medal from the 2001 Goodwill Games. He had never claimed a national outdoor title and wasn’t even a “full-time” athlete until just a few years ago.

Yet that was all of little consequence on 27-August, when, with a last attempt clearance at an Olympic record 5.95, he won a brilliant duel with teammate Toby Stevenson to become the 19th American to claim an Olympic vault title. And his lack of a major medal pedigree mattered even less when, three weeks later at the World Athletics Final, he became only the 12th man to clear the event’s six-meter barrier. But his decade-long persistence – beginning with a barely-noticed NAIA title in 1993 - on reaching the pinnacle of his sport did not escape Mack as his stellar 2004 season drew to a close.

“It just goes to show you what staying true to your goals can accomplish,” Mack said after his 6.01 win in Monaco. Only six others have ever vaulted higher. “Staying true, and just focusing and being determined and just moving forward, and never letting go of your goals. It’s kind of come a long, long way and I can’t even really believe it because I’m just so focused on the (small) steps. And six metres, I think, what am I doing? It’s almost like I can’t really comprehend it.”

Injury free and strengthening up

The major difference for Mack in 2004, a season which witnessed his transformation from journeyman to world-beater, was a simple formula of consistent injury-free training.

“There’s no substitute for that,” he said. “Everything’s finally starting to come out of that.” This year, he raised his personal best, an indoor 5.85 clearance from 2002, to 5.90 twice, then to 5.95 and finally 6.01.

Another difference this year, Mack said, was an added emphasis on strength conditioning. “I put on weight. A lot of it was just trying to bulk up and lift heavier weights.” He added an extra day of lifting to his training routine, upping it to four days a week. Regular massage therapy and visits with a chiropractor were more commonplace. But besides the physical aspects, wisdom and experience were key ingredients to his success this year as well.

“And being older,” he said. “I’m getting smarter. I’m not just training like crazy. If something hurts, I slow down. But it’s been three years. Three years of periodized training, and staying healthy. It’s hard to believe that it’s working, but it is.”

“Just life in general, just trying to be more well-rounded,” he continued. “Before, I was working and I was vaulting. And I was getting run down. Then I had more and more meets, and was able to get a little more money, then I could cut down on working and just vault. In 2002 was when I stopped working altogether. I started coming to Europe in 1998. I’m loving it now because I pounded the pavement for a while.”

Discovering the right momentum

Despite a shaky and inconsistent spring, Mack said his season went pretty much as planned.

“I was supposed to jump high at the end of the season. After Prefontaine,” where he finished a distant ninth, “I was a little unsure where it was going because I was jumping really, really high, but I wasn't clearing high bars. I was really high - almost to the point I couldn't believe it.” A few competitions were organised in Knoxville and Jonesboro, where he 5.85 and a PB 5.90. “I wasn't feeling a rhythm until those meets,” he said. “That's how I knew I was ready.”

He followed up with first-attempt clearance at 5.90 to win the Olympic Trials, and three weeks later prepped for Athens with a win in Zurich, again clearing 5.85. From there, only the eventual conclusion of his season would end his momentum.

“I think that’s why I was able to jump this high even after the Games because I was focused on trying to jump as high as I can. Not only on going to the Olympics and that’s it. The Olympic Games were a step, but the next step was six metres. And the next step is the American record.”

World record conditions

With perfect jumping conditions in Monaco, he decided to skip an attempt on the U.S. record, Jeff Hartwig’s 6.03 from 2000, opting instead to take a stab at Sergey Bubka’s 6.15 World record.

“Yeah,” he laughed, referring to the national record, “I just really passed right over that. But the competitors told me: ‘Look you don’t get conditions like this everyday.’ With that coming from them, I changed my mind and went to 6.16. I would not have tried it without perfect conditions.” After a pair of liftless attempts, he made several adjustments before his third, which was surprisingly good.

“The last jump felt great!” Mack continued. “I needed that to be my first jump. If it was my first jump I could make adjustments. It’s hard to have one attempt at the World record.”

“I wasn’t really afraid of the height,” he added. “It’s a big change, but when you’re really focused on making certain steps, the height doesn’t really come into play. It’s just a little bit higher than you’re used to jumping.”

5.90 doesn’t feel that high

After his competition in Monaco, Mack said that 5.90, a height he hadn’t cleared prior to this year, “Doesn’t feel that high. Next year again, early in the season, it’ll feel high again. But hopefully as the season progresses - which is how I try to design my training - it won’t feel high again.”

In 2004, he won 13 of his 24 competitions, but more importantly, took 10 of 12 prior to and after his Athens triumph, bringing the momentum of a seven-meet win streak into the 2005 season.

“I expect to build off of this season and I expect to stay healthy,” he said. “That's key number one. I have to continue training the way I've been training the past three years, because I've been healthy the last three years.”

His road towards a third World Championships appearance - he was ninth in 2001 and tied for sixth in 2003 - will begin with a nearly full indoor campaign.

“I’ve always done indoor, so I’m not going to change that this year,” he said. “It’s been working. The only thing is, with my training, I will probably be starting a little bit later, maybe two weeks later. I’ll be ending the training cycle a little bit closer to our championship meet,” scheduled for 25 - 27 February.

For the last four years, Mack’s email address included the phrase, “goldNathens.” With no thought about retiring, Mack has a replacement in mind already for the next four.

“I might change it to repeatNbeijing.”

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF