Paul Burgess Articles

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Vau ... 77828.html

Vaulter seeks greater heights

By Len Johnson
Sydney
March 5, 2005


Paul Burgess says he has sorted out his "mental demons"
Photo: Iain Gillespie

"I don't think 12 months ago, people would have thought I had it in me," Paul Burgess says.


Burgess, the Australian athlete of the moment, was talking about clearing six metres in the pole vault, a benchmark achieved only by a dozen vaulters since Sergey Bubka first did it in 1985.


To be fair, Burgess did not give them much reason to think so, not even those who knew the talent that took him to a world junior championships gold medal in 1996.


Dumpy looking, with a tendency to put on a little weight, Burgess had a happy-go-lucky personality to go with it. He seemed the ideal No.3 to 2001 world champion Dmitri Markov and the mercurially talented Viktor Chistiakov.


A year later, Burgess is the top vaulter in Australia and in the top 10 in the world. He also has cleared that magical six-metre barrier. Only Markov, equal-second in the vault lists with his 6.05, and Cathy Freeman, sixth on the women's 400 all-time list, have a significantly higher ranking in an Olympic event.


Ironically, Burgess credits some of his success to three of the men who preceded him to six metres, including the two immediately before him, Americans Toby Stevenson and Tim Mack.


Speaking in Sydney ahead of today's pole vault final, Burgess says his coach Alex Parnov showed him video of Stevenson clearing six metres early last year. Parnov repeated over and over, "You can do this".


Mack, who bloomed late to win the Olympic title last year and subsequently clear 6.01 at 31 years of age, befriended Burgess in Europe and speaks to him regularly. Markov has been a friend ever since moving to Australia, says Burgess, happy to share knowledge.


Mostly, though, the changes have come from within Burgess' own head. The catalyst was having to fight Chistiakov for the one remaining place in the Olympic team last year after young Victorian Steve Hooker and Markov locked up the first two places at the national titles. "Mentally, I broke," Burgess says candidly, adding that it was one of several times "I let my mind beat me". "I had to work on not giving up and not succumbing to pressure."


He consulted Parnov and a sports psychologist. "I knew I had to sort out my own mental demons," he says.


Fitter, sleeker, more dedicated, Burgess is now seeing the results. He is determined not to stop at six metres. His next target is 6.06. "It means more than the national record (currently 6.05 to Markov)," he says. "It's also the Commonwealth record and the second-highest ever cleared.


"I can't believe I'm even talking like this. A year ago, just meeting a six-metre vaulter was a huge thing."

[Scott Go Pre]

Photo: Iain Gillespie

Becca, any relation?

[rainbowgirl28]

Photo: Iain Gillespie

Becca, any relation?

My last name is Gillespy

[Scott Go Pre]

Gotcha! My bad.