PoleVaultPower.com

Svarta Handen wrote:Maksim Tarasov of Russia entered the Golden League meeting in Berlin 1999 at 5,90.
He cleared on the first attempt, then later also 6,01 to win the meet.

Steve Hooker to have injection before pole vault final in Berlin


August 22, 2009

Courageous Steve Hooker will have a painkilling injection before taking an all or nothing approach into the final of the men's pole vault at the world athletics championships.

A torn thigh muscle meant Hooker was only able to have one jump in the qualifying round, but that was enough to soar over at 5.65m and book his berth in the final on Sunday morning (AEST).

The Australian will adopt similar tactics in the final.

"If he jumped 5.85 on one jump that's probably going to be good enough for a medal,'' said Australia head coach Eric Hollingsworth.

"And for Steve, given what's been going on in the last couple of weeks, he would be happy with that.

"And if the French guy (Renaud Lavillenie) goes and jumps six metres, there's no need for heroics. Steve's positive.

"At the end of the day, I think he surprised himself with the 5.65.

"It's obviously something he doesn't do on a regular basis, so being able to have that kind of ability to jump off no warm-up means he knows he can do it.

"And the jump was big enough basically for a 5.85, if we repeat the same process tomorrow."

The nature of the injury has changed in the last 24 hours, with Hooker now suffering pain from a neural problem in the upper quad in his right leg, an issue that can be masked with a local anaesthetic.

"I don't think it will be a performance inhibitor," said Hollingsworth.

"I think it's the pain that's the major issue.

"If we can get the local anaesthetic and get the neural block going then we might even be able to get more than one jump out of Steve."

Hooker, 27, tops the world rankings in 2009, having jumped 6.06m indoors in Boston in February. Lavillenie's PB is 6.01m.

The Australian team captain tore the adductor muscle in his right leg 11 days ago.