A happier Steve Hooker is on the up, according to training partner Steven Lewis, who will be one of the Beijing Olympic pole vault champion’s major rivals at Saturday’s Sydney Track Classic.
Hooker will compete against British record holder Lewis and American record holder Brad Walker as he strives to make 2013 a more productive year than the last.
The 30-year-old West Australian recently relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, to train under renowned American coach Dan Pfaff in a bid to kickstart his stalled career.
Hooker didn’t register a height at the London Olympics, a year after crashing out in the qualifying round at the world titles in Korea.
It was a far cry from his dominant period from 2008-’10 when he won Olympic, world outdoor and indoor, Commonwealth and Continental Cup titles.
Hooker said the move to Phoenix had been productive and Lewis said he had noticed a change in the Australian’s attitude.
“I see him after training every day and he’s not being miserable because something is hurting – that has been the biggest change,” said Lewis, who finished sixth at last weekend’s European indoors.
“You can see it spirit-wise … everything has such a massive impact on your day when you’re constantly worrying.
“You can definitely see the change. After five or six weeks, we’re looking at different shapes on the run up and things are actually happening.”
Hooker insists he is not too old to compete at the top level, even though he concedes he might never get back to the awesome peak he attained.
“There’s a chance that might happen – I’m now at the back end of my career,” Hooker said.
“But there’s lots of guys that have jumped really high in the (age) period that I’m coming into now.
“The guy that I’m looking at for inspiration is a guy like Jeff Hartwig, who was 30 before he jumped six metres for the first time and then jumped over six metres.
“I feel like I’m putting myself in the environment of both training partners and coach that I’m giving myself the best possible chance of getting back there.”
Lewis emphasised Hooker’s rivals took no pleasure from seeing him battle with pole vault’s version of the yips, literally failing to get off the ground.
New Zealand thrower Valerie Adams is another high-level international competitor at the meet, which has attracted several overseas athletes and a smattering of Paralympians.
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