Athletics: Hooker flops on comeback

MONTE CARLO: Australian pole vault king Steve Hooker flopped on his comeback to competition after an injury-enforced eight-month lay-off. The defending world, Olympic and Commonwealth champion had warned he was not operating at 100 per cent fitness after spending just the last three months actually able to vault. Hooker, whose best of 6.06 metres is second only to the legendary Sergey Bubka in the all-time list, came in at 5.45 metres, failing his first attempt before catapulting himself over at the second. Hooker last competed at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in October and has since spent his time trying to fully rehabilitate his knee.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2011.