The 33rd Sport Australia Hall of Fame induction ceremony and awards Gala dinner took place on October 12 at Palladium at Crown. It was presented by Etihad Airway.
He has been affectionately known as “Australia’s pole vault king.” On August 22, 2008, at the pole vault finals at the Beijing Olympics, he set a new Olympic record by vaulting over 5.96 meters. Russia’s Yevgeny Lukyanenko came in second place with 5.85 meters, and America’s Derek Miles came in third place with 5.70 meters.
One year later, in 2009, Hooker won the gold medal at the outdoor World Championships in Berlin, Germany, by clearing 5.90 meters, where he was named “World Champion.”
Hooker’s personal best in pole vault is 6.06 meters, which makes him the third highest pole vaulter in the history of the sport, right behind outdoor world record holder Sergey Bubka (6.14 meters), and indoor world record holder, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie (6.16 meters).
In January of 2009, Hooker was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to the sport of pole vault, as a gold medal winner at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
To learn more about Australian pole vaulter Steve Hooker, check out his official website.
