Russian Pole Vaulter Lukyanenko Surpassing Expectations

IAAF: Lukyanenko – Surpassing Expectations

Since 22 August last year the world has only really talked about one male pole vaulter Australia’s Steve Hooker who on that day in Beijing rose dramatically with third time clearances at four consecutive heights to an Olympic gold and a peak of 5.96m, a Games’ record.

Hooker’s ascent to stardom halted the meteoric rise of Russia’s now 24-year-old Yevgeniy Lukyanenko, who battled with the Australian up to 5.85m, a ceiling at which he had to be satisfied with the silver.

Until the Beijing final it had been Lukyanenko, who a few weeks before the Olympics had soared to a PB of 6.01m in Bydgoszcz (1 July), who had been the surprise vaulting package of 2008.

Nobody had expected Lukyanenko to win at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia. Before that competition his best major championship achievement had been a promising 6th place at the World Championships in Osaka the previous summer.

After his sudden success in Valencia when he beat 2007 World champion Brad Walker (silver) and Hooker (bronze), Lukyanenko confessed that he hadn’t believed in victory though he had got himself really concentrated on achieving a place – though not the highest – on the podium.

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