Steven Hooker
Steven Leslie Hooker
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| Personal information |
| Nationality |
Australian |
| Born |
16 July 1982 (1982-07-16) (age 29)
Australia |
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Steven Leslie "Steve" Hooker OAM (born 16 July 1982 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian pole vaulter and Olympic gold medalist. His personal best is 6.06 m, making him the second highest pole-vaulter in history[1] behind only Sergey Bubka.
Career
Hooker won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with a vault of 5.96 metres, setting a new Olympic record, and making him the first Australian male track and field gold medalist in 40 years since Ralph Doubell won the 800 m in Mexico City in 1968.[2][3][4]
At the 2009 World Athletics Championships, in Berlin, Hooker won the gold despite a hamstring injury. On only his second jump, Hooker cleared 5.90 meters, to win the gold after missing 5.85 meters on his first attempt.[5][6]
At the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Hooker won the gold in the pole vault with a vault of 6.01 metres, a championship record.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Hooker won the gold in the pole vault.
Biography
Hooker attended Greythorn Primary School in Balwyn North, Victoria and Balwyn High School in Balwyn North, Victoria.
His mother Erica Hooker was a 1972 Olympian and a 1978 Commonwealth Games long jump silver medalist. She also won nine national titles. His father Bill represented Australia in the 800 m and 4 x 400 m at the 1974 Commonwealth Games and won four national crowns.
He began his career with the Box Hill Athletic Club.[7] His career started slowly, and he only went professional in 2006.[7] He relocated to Perth, living on a very modest Australian Sports Commission allowance.[7]
Achievements
| Year |
Competition |
Venue |
Position |
Notes |
| 2000 |
World Junior Championships |
Santiago, Chile |
4th |
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| 2006 |
Commonwealth Games |
Melbourne, Australia |
1st |
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| World Athletics Final |
Stuttgart, Germany |
5th |
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| World Cup |
Athens, Greece |
1st |
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| 2007 |
World Athletics Final |
Stuttgart, Germany |
3rd |
|
| 2008 |
World Indoor Championships |
Valencia, Spain |
3rd |
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| Olympic Games |
Beijing, China |
1st |
OR |
| 2009 |
World Championships |
Berlin, Germany |
1st |
|
| 2010 |
World Indoor Championships |
Doha, Qatar |
1st |
CR |
| Continental Cup |
Split, Croatia |
1st |
CR |
| Commonwealth Games |
New Delhi, India |
1st |
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Sprinting
Steven Hooker also has a personal best of 10.82s in 100m as an amateur sprinter.[8] He ran in the 2010 Stawell Gift.
References
External links
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2007: Brad Walker (USA)
- 2008: Steven Hooker
- 2009: Blake Lucas
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Hooker, Steven |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
Australian pole vaulter |
| Date of birth |
16 July 1982 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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