Pole Vaulter Steve Hooker looking forward to new stadium in Perth

49576_full-prtIAAF – Hooker looking forward to new stadium in Perth

Steve Hooker’s adopted city of Perth is getting a new athletics stadium at Mount Claremont, a boon for the whole sport and offering an even better facility for Alex Parnov’s elite squad of vaulters than the old one at Perry Lakes, the 1962 British Commonwealth Games venue. The new venue will host the 2010 Australian championships and Commonwealth Games selection trials on 16-18 April next.

“Hopefully this new stadium will help retain kids from Little Athletics all the way through and help the sport continue to have a resurgence in WA.

“It’s the first time we’ve had an athletics track in WA which has had lights, so it can host twilight and night competition which we couldn’t do over here before. That will fit in well with the hot summer weather.

“As a venue, it is fantastic. There is a 2000-seat grandstand (named after Shirley Strickland; there is also a Herb Elliott Drive within the centre), and room for another 8000 spectators around the grass embankments. It will be a great venue for competitions like the national championships , which are also going to be the New Delhi Commonwealth Games selection trials, and for future meetings of the domestic grand prix series.

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