Stevenson vs Hysong
Posted: Wed May 19, 2004 11:02 pm
http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=131072/newsId=25301.html
Stevenson versus Hysong
Wednesday 19 May 2004
America's Toby Stevenson, the first man to clear six metres in the Pole Vault for three years, will go head to head with compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Nick Hysong at Carson, California on Saturday (22 May).
Stevenson, who vaulted exactly six metres at the Modesto Relays, will be looking to take the scalp of Hysong, who recorded 5.90 to earn the gold in Sydney four years ago.
Now the 27-year-old Stevenson, a Stanford University graduate, is hoping to clinch a place in Team USA for this summer's Games in Athens.
"My last two seasons have ended in injury, one with a broken ankle and the other with an accidental fall in Europe," said the self-coached athlete.
"Finally, last summer I competed all the way through it and took time off and then got to continue on with it. Other than that it's been just a growing process, basically."
"I'm here at the Olympic Training Centre in San Diego and I'm able to study the event as it pertains to me and only me. I think I've been trying to jump like other people up until now, before I took the time to realize that I've got the talent to jump this high."
"I just needed to figure out how to do it my way. I'm not saying my way is better than anybody else's, but my way is the right way for me, and I kind of evolved that strategy throughout the year."
Stevenson is convinced he can maintain his early season form and qualify for his first-ever Olympics after producing the superb six-metre vault.
"It's definitely a boundary to a lot of vaulters. Now that I've actually done six metres and also jumped 5.94m it actually makes it easier to do it again. Six metres would have won a gold medal in every Olympic Games up until now, and so would 5.94m. It does nothing but give me confidence."
Stevenson knows he must secure a top three place in the US trials to book his ticket to Athens.
He has no plans to take part in the early season Grand Prix meetings in Europe, but will travel abroad after the national trials in Sacramento.
"I definitely need to be a consistently high jumper because the Olympic trials are going to be nothing less than a war in the men's pole vault. There are so many good guys out there,'' he said.
"The day after I jump, I'll be heading overseas for several meets - especially if I make the team I'll be overseas for the majority of the summer. I was in Europe last summer for approximately two months and competed in a full season over there."
"Europe is hard to jump in. There are different conditions and different competitors. But, all in all, no matter where you're at, the event is still basically the same. It's adjusting to the facilities and how you feel and weather conditions."
Stevenson versus Hysong
Wednesday 19 May 2004
America's Toby Stevenson, the first man to clear six metres in the Pole Vault for three years, will go head to head with compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Nick Hysong at Carson, California on Saturday (22 May).
Stevenson, who vaulted exactly six metres at the Modesto Relays, will be looking to take the scalp of Hysong, who recorded 5.90 to earn the gold in Sydney four years ago.
Now the 27-year-old Stevenson, a Stanford University graduate, is hoping to clinch a place in Team USA for this summer's Games in Athens.
"My last two seasons have ended in injury, one with a broken ankle and the other with an accidental fall in Europe," said the self-coached athlete.
"Finally, last summer I competed all the way through it and took time off and then got to continue on with it. Other than that it's been just a growing process, basically."
"I'm here at the Olympic Training Centre in San Diego and I'm able to study the event as it pertains to me and only me. I think I've been trying to jump like other people up until now, before I took the time to realize that I've got the talent to jump this high."
"I just needed to figure out how to do it my way. I'm not saying my way is better than anybody else's, but my way is the right way for me, and I kind of evolved that strategy throughout the year."
Stevenson is convinced he can maintain his early season form and qualify for his first-ever Olympics after producing the superb six-metre vault.
"It's definitely a boundary to a lot of vaulters. Now that I've actually done six metres and also jumped 5.94m it actually makes it easier to do it again. Six metres would have won a gold medal in every Olympic Games up until now, and so would 5.94m. It does nothing but give me confidence."
Stevenson knows he must secure a top three place in the US trials to book his ticket to Athens.
He has no plans to take part in the early season Grand Prix meetings in Europe, but will travel abroad after the national trials in Sacramento.
"I definitely need to be a consistently high jumper because the Olympic trials are going to be nothing less than a war in the men's pole vault. There are so many good guys out there,'' he said.
"The day after I jump, I'll be heading overseas for several meets - especially if I make the team I'll be overseas for the majority of the summer. I was in Europe last summer for approximately two months and competed in a full season over there."
"Europe is hard to jump in. There are different conditions and different competitors. But, all in all, no matter where you're at, the event is still basically the same. It's adjusting to the facilities and how you feel and weather conditions."
