PoleVaultPower.com

http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0 ... 59,00.html

Hartwig fails again in pole vault trials

By Jeff Faraudo, STAFF WRITER

SACRAMENTO -- Four years later, Sacramento again was unkind to American pole vault recordholder Jeff Hartwig.

Hartwig, the victim of a no-height performance in the 2000 Olympic Track and Field Trials, failed to survive qualifying Friday.

The 32-year-old from Jonesboro, Ark., missed his first two attempts at 18 feet, 1/2 inch, then was flagged for a time violation before attempting his third and final try at the height needed to reach Sunday's final.

"This is absolutely par for the course for me," said Hartwig, who owns the U.S. record of 19-91/4 but never has medaled at a major international outdoor competition. "At meets like this, bad things keep happening to me."

Hartwig interrupted his runway approach just before the pit on his third attempt when a gust of wind suddenly greeted him. He said he asked an official how much time he had left of his 1-minute limit, and was told he had 12 seconds.

He quickly readied himself for another try when a second official raised a red flag, signaling his violation. Hartwig said video-camera replays showed he was given only 8 seconds, and he argued he should be given another attempt while his protest was being considered.

Twenty minutes later, officials finally gave him another shot -- and he missed it.

"My heart goes out to him -- it's crushing to see it happen," said Stanford grad Toby Stevenson, the world outdoor leader who advanced to the final. "It's very humbling because you never know what can happen in the pole vault."

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/ ... 29367.html

Hartwig Fails Again in Pole Vault Try
By BOB BAUM
The Associated Press




SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Jeff Hartwig refused to get too upset this time.

So what if for the second Olympic trials in a row, he failed to make a height in the pole vault? So what if the American record-holder will end his career having competed in one Olympics - eight years ago?

Snake-bitten?

"I love snakes. I'm never snake-bitten," Hartwig said. "Snake bites are not a big deal. I collect snakes."

Hartwig was able to joke a little about Friday's failure to clear a height in the pole vault qualifying at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, even though the same thing happened to him four years ago.

"I said after 2000 I'll never let myself be that disappointed again," he said, "and this is par for the course for me in these kinds of meets."

Hartwig is 36 years old. His only Olympics was Atlanta in 1996, when he finished 11th.

He has run out of time, which is exactly what happened to him on the runway for his third attempt at the qualifying height of 18 feet, 1/2 inch on Friday.

Hartwig had passed at 17-8 1/2, then missed twice at 18-0 1/2. As he ran down the runway for his third attempt, the brisk wind blew him a bit off balance, so he stopped just short of the block.

He knew he didn't have much time. Vaulters have 1 minute to take their jump.

As he described it, he passed the official who operated the time clock and asked how long he had left. He was told 12 seconds. He grabbed a lighter pole because he was a bit tired from the run, stepped on the runway, and was told his time had run out.

Hartwig checked with fans who were videotaping the event, and was told only 8 seconds had passed. He felt he should have had 4 remaining, and besides, he said, the wrong official ruled his time had expired.

Hartwig filed a protest, but had to leave the track to do so. He insisted he should have been allowed to do his third jump immediately after he said he was protesting.

About 20 minutes later, after all the standards and other equipment had been removed from the venue, he was allowed to take his third jump.



He missed badly.

"I'm absolutely in shock that the officials know the rules so poorly," he said. "All the athletes on the field knew the rules better than the officials did. They seemed confused."

U.S. Track and Field men's chairman John Chaplin said: "He was treated more than fairly and the referee expedited it."

The failure was much harder to take four years ago, he said, when he came into the meet the favorite, not only in the Olympic trials, but for the Sydney Games as well.

Bothered by dry contact lenses, he failed to clear a height, and said it took him at least a year to get over the disappointment. He made sure, at least outwardly, not to care so much this time.

"This is what I do for a living," he said, "and the Olympics are a very small part of that. It's something that happens once every four years. I believe that maybe there's a little bit of luck - or in my case bad luck - that sort of comes with that."

This year, though, he figured to be in the medal hunt. He had cleared 19 feet three times. He wasn't the only big name to go down. Lawrence Johnson, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2001 world champion, failed to clear a height as well.

Toby Stevenson, who this year became the second American to clear 6 meters (19-8 1/4), made it over 18-0 1/2 in one try.

"For the last three months Ive been super confident but just very humble, because you never know whats going to happen in track and field, especially the pole vault," Stevenson said.

In his search for perspective, Hartwig recalled sitting next to a returning American soldier on a flight from Europe this summer. The soldier told Hartwig he would be returning to Iraq.

"There's a guy that's going to be going out defending our country and putting his life on the line every single day, not knowing if he's going to be blown up by a car driving by," Hartwig said. "In the grand scheme of things, I'm not going to let this bother me that bad."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/ol ... cknot.html

By Mark Zeigler
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

July 10, 2004

SACRAMENTO – It didn't take long for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials to have their first bit of drama.

Like, the first event.

It was the men's pole vault qualifying, and for the second straight time at the Trials, American record holder and four-time national champion Jeff Hartwig is out.

Four years ago, he failed to clear a height on any of his three initial attempts. This year, he couldn't do it in four.

Hartwig had started his approach on his third and normally final attempt at 18 feet, ½ inch, when he suddenly stopped and – feeling the wind begin to kick up – went for another pole. But vaulters are allowed only 60 seconds to complete their attempt, and by the time Hartwig returned to the runway he was out of time.

He protested and won a fourth attempt.

Then he missed that, too.

"I said after 2000, 'I'll never let myself be that disappointed again,' " Hartwig, 26, said. "This is par for the course for me at these kinds of meets. I'm absolutely in shock."

Hartwig set the American record of 19-9¼ three weeks before the 2000 Trials.

"My heart goes out to him," said Toby Stevenson, the 2004 world leader who qualified for tomorrow's finals. "But am I relieved that he's out? Yeah . . . You never know what can happen in track and field."


Feeling his pain
One person who can sympathize with Hartwig is Chargers owner Alex Spanos, a high school pole vaulter from nearby Stockton. It was his grant of $1.1 million that helped refurbish the stadium at Sacramento State for the 2000 Trials. Spanos was part of the opening ceremonies yesterday and welcomed the crowd to the Trials.

Spanos might stick around to watch the men's 400 meters, which begins tomorrow. There he will see the meet's other Chargers connection – Tyree Washington, a San Diego resident who had a brief stint with the team in 1999 as a wide receiver before being cut.

This article has a lot more quotes than most of the other ones I have seen.


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/s ... lai10.html

Track & field trials: Hartwig out in pole vault controversy


SACRAMENTO, Calif. â€â€

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 0710173955

More Hartwig heartache - another Olympic bid fails

Sat Jul 10, 1:39 PM ET


SACRAMENTO, United States (AFP) - American pole vault record holder Jeff Hartwig suffered another Olympian disappointment, failing to clear a height in his second consecutive US Olympic Athletics Trials.

Hartwig was halted from making his third and final attempt at his opening height of 5.50m in Friday's pole vault qualifying, officials claiming he failed to make the try within the required one-minute time limit.

He protested, but Hartwig was not given another chance during the event as required under meet rules until 20 minutes later, after competition had ended and wind gauges and his marks on the track were gone.

Hartwig missed and his Athens Olympic dreams were shattered.

"I'm absolutely in shock the officials know the rules so poorly. The athletes know them better than the officials," Hartwig said. "I was denied that opportunity until the officials had decided who made the finals.

"Had I made it, it was still up to officials to decide on the protest. But it came after the competition area had been taken down."

Meet official Bob Podkaminer said that Hartwig's protest was denied by an appeals jury, so Hartwig would not have advanced to Sunday's finals even if he had cleared his final attempt.

Hartwig, who shared 11th at the 1996 Olympics, was foiled in a 2000 Olympic bid at the trials when dry air affected his contact lenses and his vision. He underwent laser eye surgery to ensure eyesight would not be a factor in 2004.

"Obviously I'm disappointed," Hartwig said. "But I'm not going to let it affect me like it did four years ago. In 2000, I was the favorite to win the whole thing. It's tough to carry that with you."

Toby Stevenson, who cleared 6.00m earlier this year for 2004's world-best effort and made Sunday's final by clearing 5.50m, sympathized with Hartwig, who set the American record of 6.03m in 2000.

"My heart goes out to him," Stevenson said. "It's depressing to see him do that. I was pulling for him. The way it happened, it's tough."

Hartwig, 36, said the timing official told him he had 12 seconds and raised the yellow warning flag, but when he grabbed his pole to begin his run, another official at the pit was standing on the runway, saying his time had elapsed.

"People in the stands who had their videocameras running rewound the tape and said I had eight seconds from the time the flag went up," Hartwig said of a flag that is to be raised 15 seconds before a time foul is ruled.

Could he have completed the attempt in time?

"We'll never know, will we?" Hartwig said.

"I've never had a problem before and I don't think it would have been a problem today if I had gotten my full minute."

Hartwig ruled out any thought of making another effort in 2008 at age 40, adopting a philosophical attitude after having taken a plane ride seated beside a US soldier coming home from Iraq (news - web sites).

"It's unfortunate but the Olympics is a small part of my career from a grand perspective," Hartwig said. "In the grand scheme of things this really isn't that important. I'm not going to let this bother me.

"It was just unfortunate circumstances."

http://gohuskies.collegesports.com/spor ... 04aaa.html

Walker Perfect in Pole Vault Qualifying at U.S. Olympic Trials

July 9, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former Husky pole vaulter Brad Walker began the final stages of his quest for a 2004 Olympics berth in impressive fashion at Friday's U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif., clearing both qualifying heights on his first attempt at each to earn one of 12 spots in Sunday's final. Fellow 2004 UW graduate Megan Spriestersbach also advanced to a Sunday final, placing 10th in qualifying-round competition in the women's javelin.

Of the 21 vaulters who entered the competition, nine -- including American record holder Jeff Hartwig -- failed to clear either of the two preliminary heights, and were eliminated from the competition. Spokane native Walker, the fourth overall seed in the competition behind Hartwig, world leader Toby Stevenson and 2000 Olympian Timothy Mack, was one of just five to clear the final height of 18-0 1/2 without any misses.

The 12 vaulters remaining in the competition will return to the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex Sunday for a straight final, with the top three finishers earning automatic berths to next month's Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

"Brad looked good today," said Washington vault coach Pat Licari, who tutored Walker to four All-America honors from 2000-2004. "It's good to get those first jumps out of the way, and be able to focus on Sunday."

In the four months since concluding his collegiate career with a second-straight NCAA indoor pole vault title in March, Walker has soared to third in the 2004 IAAF World Outdoor Rankings, earning a personal-best clearance of 19-1 at May's Sky Athletics Invitational. The 23-year-old is seeking to become Washington's 37th Olympian all-time, and the first-ever to qualify in the pole vault.

http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/8829 ... 5993c.html

Hartwig's strange day ends chance at Olympic berth

By JOHN SCHUMACHER
THE SACRAMENTO BEE
Last Updated: July 10, 2004, 06:18:40 AM PDT

SACRAMENTO -- They filmed an episode of "The Twilight Zone" on Friday at Hornet Stadium. The only thing missing was Rod Serling chatting in the foreground as Jeff Hartwig tried to sort out the sad, surreal scene.

How else do you explain what happened during pole vault qualifying on the opening day of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials?

For the second consecutive time at the Trials, Hartwig, the American record holder, failed to clear his opening height. And once again, he did it in the most unusual of circumstances.

In 2000, Hartwig's contact lenses dried up. Friday, he was red-flagged off the runway before his third and final attempt because an official ruled he had exceeded the 1-minute time limit.

Hartwig walked off the infield and across the track to file a protest, then waited more than 25 minutes before being allowed to jump again. But his marks had been removed, so he had to replace them.

Hartwig missed his last chance at 18 feet, ½ inch, then later had his protest overturned anyway.

All this from a guy whose record is 19-8¼ and who in his last five meets has cleared 19-0½, 19-0¾, 18-6½, 19-0½ and 18-8½.

Welcome ... to the Twilight Zone.

"Wow," Hartwig said. "I told myself after 2000 I'd never let myself be that disappointed again. I'm absolutely in shock. This is it for me."

Hartwig, 36, said he would continue to vault, but no longer chase another Olympic berth. He tied for 11th place at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

"I'll cherish that forever," Hartwig said. "I'm obviously disappointed. I'm not going to let it affect me like in 2000.

"In 2000, I was the favorite to win the whole thing. To some degree, that's something you carry with you for a long time."

Hartwig said it took him a year to shake that setback, which happened when his contact lenses didn't take well to the dry conditions or re-wetting drops. He underwent laser eye surgery to correct his vision.

This time, troublesome winds and confusion on the runway did Hartwig in before most of the 19,160 fans arrived.

After passing the opening height of 17-8½, Hartwig missed his first two attempts at 18-0½. Bothered by the wind, he aborted his third attempt before reaching the end of the runway.

On his way back, he asked an official how much time he had. Hartwig said she told him 12 seconds. So he ran about 35 feet, grabbed another pole and was about to start his run when a different official down near the pit raised a red flag.

Hartwig argued, but the official put an orange cone on the runway. So Hartwig filed a protest, then waited for officials to sort out the mess.

"People with videocams played them back, and it said eight seconds," said Hartwig, who contended he was cheated out of at least four seconds.

Meet referee Bob Pokaminer released a statement explaining the decision on Hartwig's appeal and one by fellow vaulter Kurt Hannah.

"The referees interviewed five officials," the statement read. "All officials agreed that the official's ruling on Hartwig was correct. Both athletes filed protests. Both protests were denied."

Derek Miles, who trains with Hartwig in Jonesboro, Ark., advanced to the final, but was saddened by his friend's travails.

"It's crushing," Miles said. "We see each other every day. You spend four to five years with someone, you get to know them pretty well. We're all here because we love pole vaulting.

"When you see something like this happen, it's just like, 'Aw, you're kidding me.' Not the officials. Just a guy capable, he's ready to go. It just happens to be in the situation, he got some bad circumstances."

Miles backed Hartwig's story.

"They were off by probably five to six seconds," Miles said. "It really was an emotional downer for me. I can't believe that just happened. For awhile, you kind of forget about yourself."

Hartwig tried to put things in perspective, talking about a soldier returning from Iraq whom he met recently on a flight back from Europe. The man couldn't wait to see his wife and kids.

"That really hit me hard," Hartwig said. "In the grand scheme of things, this isn't really important. This guy has to go back."

http://www.modbee.com/sports/story/8829 ... 5993c.html

Hartwig's strange day ends chance at Olympic berth

By JOHN SCHUMACHER
THE SACRAMENTO BEE
Last Updated: July 10, 2004, 06:18:40 AM PDT

SACRAMENTO -- They filmed an episode of "The Twilight Zone" on Friday at Hornet Stadium. The only thing missing was Rod Serling chatting in the foreground as Jeff Hartwig tried to sort out the sad, surreal scene.

How else do you explain what happened during pole vault qualifying on the opening day of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials?

For the second consecutive time at the Trials, Hartwig, the American record holder, failed to clear his opening height. And once again, he did it in the most unusual of circumstances.

In 2000, Hartwig's contact lenses dried up. Friday, he was red-flagged off the runway before his third and final attempt because an official ruled he had exceeded the 1-minute time limit.

Hartwig walked off the infield and across the track to file a protest, then waited more than 25 minutes before being allowed to jump again. But his marks had been removed, so he had to replace them.

Hartwig missed his last chance at 18 feet, ½ inch, then later had his protest overturned anyway.

All this from a guy whose record is 19-8¼ and who in his last five meets has cleared 19-0½, 19-0¾, 18-6½, 19-0½ and 18-8½.

Welcome ... to the Twilight Zone.

"Wow," Hartwig said. "I told myself after 2000 I'd never let myself be that disappointed again. I'm absolutely in shock. This is it for me."

Hartwig, 36, said he would continue to vault, but no longer chase another Olympic berth. He tied for 11th place at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

"I'll cherish that forever," Hartwig said. "I'm obviously disappointed. I'm not going to let it affect me like in 2000.

"In 2000, I was the favorite to win the whole thing. To some degree, that's something you carry with you for a long time."

Hartwig said it took him a year to shake that setback, which happened when his contact lenses didn't take well to the dry conditions or re-wetting drops. He underwent laser eye surgery to correct his vision.

This time, troublesome winds and confusion on the runway did Hartwig in before most of the 19,160 fans arrived.

After passing the opening height of 17-8½, Hartwig missed his first two attempts at 18-0½. Bothered by the wind, he aborted his third attempt before reaching the end of the runway.

On his way back, he asked an official how much time he had. Hartwig said she told him 12 seconds. So he ran about 35 feet, grabbed another pole and was about to start his run when a different official down near the pit raised a red flag.

Hartwig argued, but the official put an orange cone on the runway. So Hartwig filed a protest, then waited for officials to sort out the mess.

"People with videocams played them back, and it said eight seconds," said Hartwig, who contended he was cheated out of at least four seconds.

Meet referee Bob Pokaminer released a statement explaining the decision on Hartwig's appeal and one by fellow vaulter Kurt Hannah.

"The referees interviewed five officials," the statement read. "All officials agreed that the official's ruling on Hartwig was correct. Both athletes filed protests. Both protests were denied."

Derek Miles, who trains with Hartwig in Jonesboro, Ark., advanced to the final, but was saddened by his friend's travails.

"It's crushing," Miles said. "We see each other every day. You spend four to five years with someone, you get to know them pretty well. We're all here because we love pole vaulting.

"When you see something like this happen, it's just like, 'Aw, you're kidding me.' Not the officials. Just a guy capable, he's ready to go. It just happens to be in the situation, he got some bad circumstances."

Miles backed Hartwig's story.

"They were off by probably five to six seconds," Miles said. "It really was an emotional downer for me. I can't believe that just happened. For awhile, you kind of forget about yourself."

Hartwig tried to put things in perspective, talking about a soldier returning from Iraq whom he met recently on a flight back from Europe. The man couldn't wait to see his wife and kids.

"That really hit me hard," Hartwig said. "In the grand scheme of things, this isn't really important. This guy has to go back."

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/article ... news02.txt

Ex-USD vaulter Derek Miles still in hunt for title



From Journal Wire Reports

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Derek Miles' dream of being an Olympian is still on track. On Friday, Miles was one of 12 American pole vaulters to advance to the finals of the men's pole vault at the USA Olympic Trials.


According to the USA Track and Field web site, the men's pole vault qualifying followed an unusual pattern as it took only 18 feet, 0.5 inches to advance to Sunday's final. Brad Walker, Dan Ryland, Tim Mack, Keenan King, Tye Harvey, Miles, Jacob Pauli, Justin Norberg, Russ Buller, Toby Stevenson and defending Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong all cleared the height.

Jim Davis and Robert McLean also advanced at 17-8.5. Nine vaulters no-heighted, including American record holder Jeff Hartwig and former American record holder Lawrence Johnson.

Miles, a former South Dakota track and field star, was earlier this year ranked No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 5 in the world by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Miles, 31, is a member of Nike-Bell Athletics Club and won the Reno Pole Vault Summit earlier this year for the third straight season, going 19-0.5.

He has a personal best with a vault of 19-1.25 on Feb. 16, 2002, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. The vault, which established a DakotaDome record, was the second-best indoor mark in the world at that point in the season. It broke Miles' own Dome mark of 18-4.5 set in 1999.

Miles had an outstanding summer in 2003 in which he placed fifth in the Grand Prix series, earning a top-five ranking by the IAAF. He was the champion of the 2003 USA Indoor Championships and runner-up in June at the USA Outdoor Championships. He placed fifth at the 2003 World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Paris, France.

Miles, who stands 6-3 and weighs 190 pounds, won the pole vault competition at the Millrose Games in New York on Feb. 7, 2003, going 18-8.5. He also won the North Central Conference pole vault title in 1996 and finished fifth at the 1996 NCAA Division II indoor meet. He was third at the 1994 NCAA Division II outdoor nationals. Miles was an alternate on the U.S Olympic Team in 2000.

http://www.thetowntalk.com/html/FEDC4D3 ... FAF7.shtml

Waiting for pole vault finals has Ryland anxious
Posted on July 11, 2004
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Daniel Ryland did not go to the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex to catch Saturday's competition in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

"I'm not going to the track," Ryland said Saturday afternoon. "The adrenaline would start flowing, and I would waste a lot of energy just getting excited. I want to save it for Sunday."

Ryland, the 24-year-old from Deville, took it easy Saturday, noting he worked out in a pool and had a low-key day with some friends and his younger brother, John.

Ryland will compete in the finals of the pole vault competition today (at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT), vying with 12 other vaulters for one of three spots on the U.S. Olympic Team.

"I'm ready for it to get here," said Ryland, one of four vaulters in the finals who have trained under world renowned vaulter Earl Bell at Arkansas State in Jonesboro, Ark. "I'm a little sore from yesterday, but I should feel pretty good Sunday. It's going to be fun."

Other vaulters in the finals who currently or formerly trained at Arkansas State are Bubba McLean, Derek Myles and Ty Harvey. McLean is Ryland's roommate.

Texas native Toby Stevenson, who cleared 19 feet, 8 inches earlier this summer, has the best vault going into today's competition.

Former LSU vaulter Russ Buller is also in the field, along with Jim Davis of Texas, Kim Mack of Knoxville, Tenn., and Nick Hysong of Phoenix.

Kennan King of Missouri, Justin Norberg of Illinois, Brad Walker of Washington and Jacob Pauli of Northern Iowa, who roomed with Ryland at the World Junior Games in France in 1998, round out the field.

Ryland, a former Buckeye star, qualified for the finals with vaults of 5.40 and 5.50 meters on Friday night, the latter equivalent to 18 feet, 1/2 inch. His personal best vault is 18-101/2, achieved at a meet in Jonesboro, Ark.

"I anticipate it'll take higher than that to go to Athens," said Ryland. "I just want to jump as high as I can. If I get 19 feet and finish in last place, then that's right where I need to be, because if there's that many guys who are that much better, they deserve to go to the Olympics, and the Americans will come home with gold and silver medals."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... 0712014903

Reigning Olympic men's pole vault champion Nick Hysong will not defend his title in Athens after finishing fifth in the US trials, clearing just 5.75m.

"I can relax a little more this summer and take some time off," Hysong said. "I just need a tad more confidence to finish the jumps."

Tim Mack, the 2001 Brisbane Goodwill Games pole vault winner, cleared 5.90m to set the pace with Toby Stevenson, the 2004 world leader with a 6.00m clearance, second at 5.85m to book his Athens trip.

http://gohuskies.collegesports.com/spor ... 04aaa.html

Walker Sixth, Spriestersbach 10th at U.S. Olympic Trials
Husky seniors cap impressive seasons with top-10 finishes at Trials.


July 11, 2004

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Former Huskies Brad Walker and Megan Spriestersbach saw their Olympic bids come up just short Sunday at the 2004 USA Track and Field Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif., as each placed outside the top-three in their respective events. Spokane native Walker, the sixth-ranked vaulter in NCAA history, earned sixth in the pole vault, while Spriestersbach, of Lakewood, was 10th in the javelin.

Ranked third in the world outdoors in 2004 entering the competition, Walker was one of seven vaulters over the bar at 18-feet, 10 1/4 inch, but missed on his first attempt at 19-0 1/4. When three vaulters cleared the latter height on their first attempts to move past Walker in the standings, the 2004 UW graduate chose to pass his remaining two attempts to the subsequent height of 19-2 1/4, which would have been a lifetime best. A pair of misses at 19-2 1/4, however, ended the meet for Walker, who was competing in his first-ever Olympic Trials.

Two-time USA Track and Field Championships runner-up Tim Mack vaulted his way to the top of the competition in the loaded field, which included six of the world's top-10 ranked vaulters. Mack's first-attempt clearance at 19-4 1/4 gave the Knoxville, Tenn., native the win over world leader Toby Stevenson, who finished at 19-2 1/4. Former U.S. indoor champion Derek Miles, who tied for third at the 2000 Olympic Trials but was defeated in a jump-off for the final Olympics berth, will round out the U.S. squad after placing third Sunday, with a best of 19-0 1/4. All three will be competing in their first Olympic Games when they travel to Athens, Greece, next month.

The sixth-place finish marks the end of a brilliant season for Walker, who captured his second-straight NCAA indoor title in March before turning professional in the spring. After earning sponsorship from Nike, Walker soared as high as No. 2 in the world with a lifetime-best clearance of 19-1 at May's Sky Athletics Invitational, and was the fourth overall seed entering the Olympic Trials.