News28 Jan 2009


Beijing medallists Hooker and Mclellan the central attractions in Melbourne – IAAF World Athletics Tour

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Sally McLellan and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep are ecstatic with their medals in the 100m hurdles (© Getty Images)

Australia came away from the athletics programme at the Beijing Olympics with four medals, and two of the three athletes who achieved that haul, Olympic Pole Vault gold medallist Steve Hooker and 100m Hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan will be the central attractions at the two major domestic meets of the Australian summer – the Sydney Track Classic (Sat 28 Feb), and at the country's premier athletics meeting, the IAAF World Athletics Tour Melbourne (Thu 5 Mar).

Hooker will come face-to-face with the man he defeated in a heart-stopping Olympic battle in Beijing when he jumps against Russian Yevgeniy Lukyanenko, while McLellan, who elevated herself into the minds of the Australian public with a stunning display in Beijing, will line up alongside two quality international stars, Commonwealth Games champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton (JAM) and NCAA champion Nichole Denby (USA).

Hooker, who celebrated Australia Day with confirmation he had been awarded the Order of Australia, Hooker was victorious in one of the most exciting contests of the 2008 Olympics, winning the men’s Pole Vault on his third and last attempt at 5.90m after repeatedly bouncing back from the brink of elimination at each of his heights. After securing the gold medal, the Australian with another third time clearance this time at 5.96m went on to break Tim Mack’s Olympic record (5.95), which the American had set four years earlier in Athens.

The 26-year-old Australian has an outdoor best of 6.00m (2008) and took the World Indoor bronze medal in Valencia last winter behind Lukyanenko who was gold medallist. The Russian had an outstanding 2008, which saw him improve on his personal best by a whopping 20cm. In July, he entered the prestigious six metre club in Bydgoszcz, Poland, his 6.01m clearance moving him to ninth on the world all-time list.

Meeting four times last year, the 24-year-old Russian had the upper-hand over Hooker on three occasions – the World Indoor title in Valencia, his 6.01m in Poland and on a count-back in London at the Super Grand Prix.

However, Hooker and Lukyanenko won’t have it all their own way this Australian summer. Australia’s other six metre vaulter Paul Burgess is also returning to form posting a World Championships ‘A’ qualifier of 5.70m at a Perth intra-club meet two weeks ago.  They will be joined by World Cup runner-up Daichi Sawano from Japan, who boasts a competitive personal best of 5.83m.

Foster-Hylton, the 2006 Commonwealth Games and World Cup champion, met McLellan eight times last year, the Australian defeating the more experienced Jamaican on five occasions, including the Olympic final in which the 34-year-old finished sixth. Foster-Hylton produced the third-fastest time of 2008 clocking 12.49 in Monaco, just four-hundredths outside her personal best – the same meet in which McLellan established her national record of 12.53.

Denby, 26, just missed selection for the 2008 Olympics after finishing fourth at the highly competitive USA trials – all three USA women made the final in Beijing. The University of Texas student, who was crowned NCAA champion in 2004, has a personal best of 12.54 seconds.

Athletics Australia

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