Hooker keen to rise to Bubka's height

STEVE Hooker knows better than to offer any guarantees. But if everything comes together at this weekend's Commonwealth Games athletics trials in Perth, the world No. 1 pole vaulter might be ready to again take aim at the long-standing world record of Sergey Bubka.

Australian head coach Eric Hollingsworth says the new Western Australian Athletics Stadium is a ''performance paradise'', with the lightning-fast track, warm conditions and prevailing breeze all tailor-made for jumpers, vaulters and sprinters.

There is a $100,000 incentive if Hooker can better Bubka's 16-year-old outdoor mark of 6.14 metres on Sunday. The legendary Ukrainian also holds the world indoor record of 6.15. But the sport's world governing body no longer distinguishes between the two marks, meaning Hooker is likely to have the bar raised to 6.16m if he goes for broke.

The Australian's best clearance of 6.06 metres was recorded indoors last year in Boston - higher than any man apart from Bubka. All of his previous attempts at the record have been under a roof, although as the reigning Olympic and world champion, Hooker is just as comfortable competing outdoors.

''Just knowing what it feels like to run in and have that bar up there at world record height is an advantage,'' Hooker said yesterday.

''It's all experience, it does help your confidence, it does make it seem like just another bar.''

' He can also draw confidence from having set a new Olympic mark of 5.96 metres in Beijing.

Hooker, discus world champion Dani Samuels and long jumper Fabrice Lapierre have been pre-selected for the Commonwealth Games, but will still defend their national titles in Perth.