Brad Walker (born June 21, 1981 in
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen ( Lakota: ''Ablíla'') is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, located approximately northeast of Pierre. The city population was 28,495 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populous ci ...
) is an
American pole vault
Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...
er. He was the
American recordholder and was the
2007 World Champion in the event.
High school
Walker attended
University High School in
Spokane Valley, Washington
Spokane Valley is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States, and the largest suburb of Spokane. It is located east of Spokane, west of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and surrounds the city of Millwood on three sides. The city incorporated as ...
and competed in football, basketball, and
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
. In track, Walker was coached by Reg Hulbert and won All-Greater Spokane League honors following his senior season. Walker graduated from University High School in 1999 with a 3.89 GPA.
Collegiate and professional career
Walker attended the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington.
Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...
, where he was a member of
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. While there, he became
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
indoor pole vault champion twice and four-time NCAA All-American under Coach Pat Licari. In 2005 he became both indoor and outdoor National Champion.
Perhaps not among the favorites in the
2005 World Championships, Walker nonetheless won the silver medal with 5.75. Two weeks later in
Rieti he set a new personal best of 5.96. In 2006 he won the
World Indoor Championships in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
with a jump of 5.80meters. In July 2006, at
Jockgrim
Jockgrim is a municipality in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approximately 15 km north-west of Karlsruhe.
Jockgrim is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("colle ...
, Germany, Brad Walker, cleared 6 meters, the best performance of the year, in a pole vault competition. He won the gold in the world championships on 1 September 2007. On 8 June 2008 Walker jumped in
Eugene to a new personal and American record with 6.04.
Walker qualified for the
2008 Olympics, but failed to clear a height in the preliminary rounds.
Walker retained his US championship title in 2009, even though his status as reigning World Champion gave him a bye into the
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...
.
At the
2012 Summer Olympics, Walker reached the final but finished 12th with a 5.50m vault.
See also
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6 metres club
References
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External links
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Flotrack.com Video Interview of Brad Walker during the 100th Millrose Games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Brad
1981 births
Living people
American male pole vaulters
People from Aberdeen, South Dakota
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
University of Washington alumni
World Athletics Championships medalists
World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
World Athletics Indoor Championships winners
World Athletics Championships winners