Event: Pole Vault
Born: 06/21/1981
College: Washington '03
Career Highlights: America Outdoor record holder; 2007 World Outdoor champion; 2006 World Indoor champion; 2008 World Indoor silver medalist; 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist; 3-time USA Outdoor Champion ('05, '07, '09); 3-time USA Indoor champion ('05, '06, '08); 2-time NCAA Indoor champion; 2-time Pac-10 champion
One of the best in the world for many years, Brad Walker currently holds the American outdoor record in the pole vault. He set that in 2008 at the Nike Prefontaine Classic with his clearance of 6.04m/19-9.75, which was also the top clearance in the world that year. The four-time World Championships medalist won 2006 USA Indoor men’s pole vault title, but faced a great deal of adversity at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow when he fell and hit his head outside the pit during a practice attempt prior to the qualifying round. He went on to qualify for the final and won it with a clutch seasonal best clearance of 5.80 meters/19-0.25 on his third attempt at that height. "I understated how fast I was moving on the runway during warm-ups and I rotated into the pit and went off to the side," said Walker of his mishap. "My feet and legs hit the pit and threw my back and head onto the track and I hit my head. The lights went out for a while and I got back up and qualified. I had a little bit of a whiplash.” He was a recipient of the Pac-10 Medal, awarded to the top male and female student-athletes at each Pac-10 institution. He captured the NCAA indoor pole vault title with a vault of 5.80m/19-0.25 that was nearly nine inches beyond his nearest competitor, and equaled the winning mark at the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Walker became the first athlete in Pac-10 history to clear 19 feet, breaking by three inches the previous Pac-10 record of 5.72m/18-9.25 set by Stanford's Toby Stevenson in 2000. He finished the indoor season tied with American Derek Miles and France's Romain Mesnil for third in the 2003 IAAF World Rankings, and tied Miles for the best indoor vault by an American in 2003. In outdoor competition in 2003 he saw his bid for an NCAA Championships double dashed by broken hand just days prior to the NCAA West Regional meet. He is regarded as Washington's best vaulter since Brian Sternberg, who in 1963 broke the world record twice before injuring himself in a training accident. As a prep star he led University High to consecutive state track and field championships in 1998 and 1999. He was 1999 regional and district pole vault champion and finished second at the state meet. He also lettered in football and was a business administration major.
USA Championships
Three-time USA Outdoor champion – 2005 (5.75m/18-10.25); 2007 (5.70m/18-8.25); 2009 (5.75m/18-10.25)
Three-time USA Indoor champion – 2005 (5.65m/18-6.5); 2006 (5.75m/18-10.25); 2008 (5.70m/18-08.25)
International Championships
2007 World Outdoor Championships gold medalist (5.86m/19-2.75)
2006 World Indoor Championships gold medalist (5.80m/19-0.25)
2008 World Indoor Championships silver medalist (5.85m/19-2.50)
2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist (5.75m/18-10.25)
Collegiate Championships
Two-time NCAA Indoor champion – 2003 (5.80m/19-0.25); 2004 (5.70m/18-8.25)
Two-time PAC-10 champion – 2002, 2003 (5.55m/18-2.50)
Awards and Honors
American outdoor record holder (6.04m/19-9.74)
Source: http://www.usatf.org/
