Steve Hooker

Steve Hooker

Steve Hooker in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Steven Leslie Hooker
Nickname(s)	Hooksy
Nationality	Australian
Born	(1982-07-16) 16 July 1982 Melbourne
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)[1]
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)[1]
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Pole Vault
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics
Medal record Competitor for  Australia Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Pole vault World Championships Gold 2009 Berlin Pole vault World Indoor Championships Gold 2010 Doha Pole vault Bronze 2008 Valencia Pole vault Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 Melbourne Pole vault Gold 2010 Delhi Pole vault World Cup Gold 2006 Athens Pole vault Continental Cup Gold 2010 Split Pole vault World Athletics Final Bronze 2007 Stuttgart Pole vault

Steven "Steve" Leslie Hooker OAM (born 16 July 1982 in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian pole vaulter and Olympic gold medalist. His personal best, achieved in 2008, is 6.06 metres, making him the third highest pole vaulter in history,^[2] behind only Sergey Bubka's 6.14 metre record achieved in 1994 and Renaud Lavillenie's 6.08m achieved January 2014.

Athletic career

Pole vaulting

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 medallist in 40 years since Ralph Doubell won the 800 metres in Mexico City in 1968.^[3][4][5]

At the 2009 World Athletics Championships, in Berlin, Hooker won the gold medal despite a hamstring injury. On only his second jump, Hooker cleared 5.90 metres, to win the gold medal after missing 5.85 metres on his first attempt.^[6][7]

At the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Hooker won the gold medal in the pole vault with a vault of 6.01 metres, a championship record.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Hooker won the gold medal in the pole vault.

Sprinting

Hooker also has a personal best of 10.82 s in 100 m as an amateur sprinter.^[8] He ran in the 2010 Stawell Gift.

Honours

In the January 2009 New Years Honours List, Steve Hooker was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) "For service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games".^[9]

Personal life

Hooker attended Greythorn Primary School 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. His career started slowly, and he only went professional in 2006. He relocated to Perth, living on a very modest Australian Sports Commission allowance.

Hooker was emotional after victory at the 2009 World Championships

Summary of athletic achievements

References

External links

• Steve Hooker profile at IAAF
• Steve Hooker personal website
• Steve Hooker twitter account