SYDNEY, July 9, 2012 (AFP) – - Australia’s Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker qualified for the London Games in a disused railway depot, where a select guest-list mingled to thudding electro beats under strobe lights.It was a deliberate attempt to avoid the public scrutiny which has followed his tumble from form, after a knee injury triggered the kind of psychological crisis elite athletes dread.”The confidence I require to stand at the end of the runway and then charge down, land my pole and soar almost six metres into the air has left me for the time being,” Hooker admitted in February.”Sometimes I run in and I don’t take off. It’s as simple as that.”Hooker has faced down his mental demons, clearing an Olympic qualifying 5.72 metres in the specially sanctioned, invite-only event at his personal training centre, with just 150 people present.But his battles provide an extreme example of the importance of an athlete’s mental state — which, according to experts, will often be the difference between winning and losing at the London Games.”Many years ago psychology was the sort of thing you did when you had a problem. It’s now part of an athlete’s weaponry,” said Matt Favier, director of the government-funded Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).”It’s less of identifying a problem and it’s about how you maximise your performance potential.”Australia’s Olympians will be offered a clinical psychologist in the team’s mobile recovery centre for the first time in London, where they can debrief and come for relaxation and other stress-management techniques during competition.Some athletes will have counselling or learn breathing or sleeping techniques, others will simply listen to music or practice positive visualisations of their disciplines.  more

Ulick O’Connor–IN September of 1947, after winning the Irish pole vault championship, I got a letter from the Irish Athletic Association notifying me that I had been selected as a “possible” for the 1948 Olympics which were to take place in London.As an 18-year-old, I was chuffed to join 10 others who were to train under coach Tom Maguire in the College Park, and in the Irish Army gym in Portobello Barracks.Though I didn’t make it to the team in the final selection, by an extraordinary stroke of luck I got to the London Olympic Games after all. It happened this way.A month before the games began in London, I went to Manchester as a member of the Irish athletic team for the annual triangular international between Ireland, England and Scotland. Going over on the boat I met John McAdam, top columnist in the Daily Express. We got on famously together and he generously offered to give me a press pass which would get me into any event at the forthcoming Olympics in the next two weeks. So I did get to the London Olympics after all.   more

STEVE Hooker went in search of good conditions, but instead left Spain with more tale of woes for his Olympic title defence. The reigning pole vault champion failed to clear a height at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Madrid in what is another significant setback for the Australian team captain who has battled the yips all year.
After securing his spot in the Olympic team with a jump of 5.72m at his own private training facility in Perth in May, Hooker has since struggled, with his cause not helped by poor conditions at recent meets in Europe.
He went to Madrid looking for a confidence boost, but instead was confronted with hot windy conditions – which he failed to handle.
Hooker entered the event at 5.50m and missed his first two attempts. He then raised the bar to 5.60m where he failed again.He vented his frustrations on Twitter afterwards: “Not a good evening for me in Madrid. Back to Cologne to do some work then London DL (Diamond League meet) on Friday. C’mon weather gods!!!!”
There was some Australian success at the meet with long jumper Mitchell Watt confirming he would be one of the favourites in London after producing a wind-assisted season best of 8.26m (+3.7mps).   Continue reading →