PoleVaultPower.com

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Other ... 6-sun.html

Tue, March 14, 2006

Loss of star athletes doesn't helpStudy shows Commonwealth Games 11% as competitive as Olympics
By JULIE SCOTT, CP


MELBOURNE , Australia -- With so many of the world's top athletes not at these Games, some have questioned their relevance according to a report in Melbourne's Age newspaper.

A recent study out of the city's RMIT University concluded the Commonwealth Games are 11% as competitive as the Olympics.

It doesn't help that world-class athletes such as Canadian hurdler Perdita Felicien, a former world champion, and English distance runner Paula Radcliffe have decided not to compete in Melbourne.

Star Aussie swimmer Ian Thorpe also backed out due to illness, while Aussie swim team captain Grant Hackett is injured.

But many argue the Commonwealth Games are still a high-level competition that provides valuable experience in a non-Olympic year.

But many athletes feel these Games are a good stepping stone to Olympics competition.

Hurdler Angela Whyte of Edmonton agreed.

"Any major games will prepare you for the Olympics," she said.

"You get more comfortable competing in front of thousands of spectators."

Les Gramantik, head coach of the Canadian track and field team, says the Games are his sport's strongest event next to the world championships and the Olympics.

While the competition doesn't have as much depth as those other events, he says there is still a strong "top-end field."

"Getting a medal isn't going to be easy for anyone," he remarked.

Its true -apart from the World record holder in the 100 metres and a bunch of world class - indeed world best in the Steeplechase - Kenyan distance runners, the standard in track and field will not be anywhere near Olympic quality. That said, readers of this forum will be interested to note that the three Australian male vaulters will be
Paul Burgess, 6.00 last year and 5.85 in Donetsk a few weeks ago,
Steve Hooker, 5.91 two weeks ago
- and our third string vaulter, at least at the moment, Dimitri Markov 2001 World Champion and equal second all time at 6.05m.

The women are not as strong, but it is still an interesting squad -
Kym Howe, 4.61m in Canberra a few weeks ago.
Tatiana Grigorieva, 2000 Olympic Silver medallist and 2002 CG Champion.
Vickie Parnov, aged 15 with a pr of 4.30 in the trials six weeks ago.

So at least pole vault aficionados will have something to look forward to.

The men's pole vault winner could easily be higher than the World Indoor Championships winner

Shall we say, wind-aided - even if it is +2,0?

As I indicated earlier, Paul Burgess jumped 5.85 to win INDOORS in Donetz a few weeks ago. That was higher than the winner of the World Indoor vault was it not - against what was possibly a better field???

I can assure your readers that in the Melbourne Cricket Ground - where the comp will be held - vaulters are very unlikely to have any favourable winds! With the vault on the D not on the straights, and in a huge stadium - I believe it seats 100 k plus, the winds swirl around all the time.

Perhaps here it might also be worth pointing out that we do not have a single indoor facility in OZ where an official comp could be held.