2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's pole vault explained

The Men's Pole Vault event at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany will be held between 20 August and 22 August 2009.

Reigning Olympic champion Steven Hooker came into the competition nursing a pulled hamstring incurred 12 days before the championships. Minimizing his effort, he only took one (successful) attempt in qualifying and two attempts in the final. Hooker waited until only three other competitors were left in the field. Hooker agonized in the pit after missing his attempt at 5.85, then watched Romain Mesnil clear. After one failure Renaud Lavillenie joined Hooker in passing to the next height while Maksym Mazuryk, who had passed to get to 5.85 exhausted his attempts. Constantly stretching and massaging his hamstring, Hooker successfully cleared 5.90 with room to spare, leaping from nothing to first place. Mesnil and Lavillenie could not answer.

Medalists

Gold
Silver
Bronze

Records

World record		6.14		31 July 1994
Championship record		6.05	Edmonton, Canada	9 August 2001
World Leading		6.01	Leiria, Portugal	21 June 2009
African record		6.03	Cologne, Germany	18 August 1995
Asian record		5.90	Stuttgart, Germany	19 August 1993
North American record		6.04	Eugene, United States	8 June 2008
South American record		5.77	São Paulo, Brazil	7 June 2007
European record		6.14	Sestriere, Italy	31 July 1994
Oceanian record		6.05	Edmonton, Canada	9 August 2001

Schedule

Date	Time	Round
August 20, 2009	10:10	Qualification
August 22, 2009	18:15	Final

Results

Qualification

Qualification: Qualifying Performance 5.75 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.

Rank	Group	Name	Nationality	5.25	5.40	5.55	5.65	Result	Notes
	A			-	-	-	o	5.65	q
	B			-	o	o	o	5.65	q
	B			-	-	o	o	5.65	q
	A			-	-	xo	o	5.65	q
	A			-	o	xo	o	5.65	q
	A			-	o	o	xo	5.65	q
	A			-	o	o	xxo	5.65	q
	A			-	-	xo	xxo	5.65	q
	A			o	o	xo	xxo	5.65	q
	B			-	o	xo	xxo	5.65	q
11	B			-	xo	xxo	xxo	5.65	q, SB
12	A			-	-	o	xxx	5.55	q
12	B			-	o	o	xxx	5.55	q
12	B			-	-	o	xxx	5.55	q
12	B			-	-	o	xxx	5.55	q
14	A			-	o	xo	xxx	5.55
15	A			o	o	xxo	xxx	5.55
16	A			xo	o	xxo	xxx	5.55	SB
16	A			-	xo	xxo	xxx	5.55
16	B			-	xo	xxo	xxx	5.55
19	B			xxo	o	xxo	xxx	5.55
20	B			o	o	xxx		5.40
20	B			-	o	xxx		5.40
22	A			-	xo	-	xxx	5.40
22	A			-	xo	xxx		5.40
22	A			-	xo	xxx		5.40
22	B			-	xo	xxx		5.40
26	A			xo	xo	xxx		5.40
26	B			xo	xo	xxx		5.40
28	B			o	xxx			5.25
29	A			o	xxx			5.25
	A			-	x
	B			-	xxx
	B			-	xxx
	B								DNS

Key: NM = no mark (i.e. no valid result), NR = National record, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best

Final

Rank	Name	Nationality	5.50	5.65	5.75	5.80	5.85	5.90	5.95	Result	Notes
			-	-	-	-	x-	o	-	5.90
			o	o	x-	o	o	x-	xx	5.85	SB
			o	o	xxo	o	x-	x-	x	5.80
			o	xo	o	x-	xx			5.75
			o	xxo	o	xxx				5.75	PB
			o	o	xo	xxx				5.75	PB
			xo	xo	xxx					5.65
			xo	xo	xx-	x				5.65
			xo	xo	xxx					5.65
10			o	xxx						5.50
10			o	xxx						5.50
12			xo	xxx						5.50
12			xo	xxx						5.50
14			xxo	xxx						5.50
			xxx

References

General

Specific