Steve Hooker - Pole Vault gold - Melbourne 2006 (© Getty Images)
Australian Steve Hooker, the #1 ranked pole vaulter in the world, and American miler Alan Webb are coming to the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 27, organisers announced today. Both will be competing at the event for the first time.
Ranked #1 in the world by both the IAAF and Track & Field News, the 24-year-old Hooker had two of the top four vaults in the world in 2006, with clearances of 5.96 and 5.91. Also a 2004 Olympian, the colorful Aussie made his biggest splash by winning gold medals in 2006 at both the Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
Webb, who will turn 24 on Jan. 13, set the American Record for 2 Miles (8:11.48) in 2005 and is a two-time U.S. outdoor champion at 1500 meters. He became a national celebrity in 2001 when he broke both the indoor and outdoor national high-school mile records, the latter held by the legendary Jim Ryun for 36 years. He is a 2004 Olympian at 1500 metres and last spring ran the fastest 10,000 metre debut ever by an American (27:34.72). Among those he will face in the Mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games is Chris Lukezic, the reigning U.S. 1500 metre champion indoors.
Webb and Hooker join Tirunesh Dibaba, the Ethiopian superstar who broke the World Record for 5000 metres indoors here in 2005. Ranked #1 in the world for 2006 by Track & Field News at 5000 metres, she will again tackle that distance in Boston.
Since the Reebok Boston Indoor Games began in 1996, a total of 90 Olympic and World Championship medalists have competed in the event, which has also played host to four World Records and eight American Records. In addition, last year’s event featured the deepest men’s indoor mile field ever assembled, shattering the previous mark (eight) with 11 athletes breaking the four-minute barrier.
Barbara Heubner for the IAAF
