Kenyan 21-year-old David Rudisha poses with his new 800m record.

Six months ago Steve Hooker was eyeing a tilt at Sergei Bubka's world record, but on a day when fellow Commonwealth athlete David Rudisha lowered the 13-year-old 800m world mark, Hooker continued his horror European campaign with another no-height in the ISTAF meeting in Berlin on Sunday night (Perth time).

The reigning World, Olympic, Commonwealth and Australian champion was keen to rebound quickly after a no-height in London last week, but instead his run of outs continued at the venue where he claimed last year's World title in dramatic fashion.

Read more: Hooker humbled again on historic day in Berlin

WA's pole vaulting sensation Liz Parnov has claimed a silver medal at the inaugral Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Having narrowly avoided missing Saturday's final by clearing the qualifying mark of 3.90m with her last attempt, she started one of the warm favourites for the Gold medal.

Read more: Parnov wins Silver at Youth Games

WA's two athletics representative's at the inaugral Youth Olympic Games, in Singapore, have qualified for the finals, but not without a heart-flutter or two.

Current Australian senior pole-vault champion, 16-year-old phenomenon Liz Parnov left it until her last jump in the qualifying round to make her way through to the final. Having sat quietly and waited whilst her 14 opponents tried their luck at five seperate heights between 3.35m and 3.80m, Parnov finally began her competition at 3.90m with only seven girls remaining in the qualification race.

Parnov failed at her first two attempts at a height 30cm shy of her National title winning jump, and half-a-metre short of her PB. The WA pole vault prodigy faced elimination without registering a height. 

But remaining calm and composed she cleared comfortably with her third attempt to get through to Saturday night's A-Final.  

“My dad (Alex) told me before my last jump to remember what I’d done in training, be confident, forget everything else that has happened and treat it like a first attempt,” Parnov, who was bright red from the sweltering Singapore heat, told athletics.com.au.

“I did that. I just went for it and now I am so relieved that it’s out of the way.

“I think qualification was always going to be the hardest and now I can relax and focus on the final.” 

Meantime in the boys 400m hurdles, Stirling Swans runner Raheen Williams scraped through to the final after missing automatic qualification by finishing third in the second of three heats.

Williams reacted second fastest to the gun from lane three, but was quickly overhauled by Indian 16-year-old Kumar Durgesh on his inside in lane two. Durgesh ran impressively to stop the clock in 52.20, ahead of German Felix Franz (52.95), with Williams (53.11) finishing third and facing a nervous wait to see if he was one of the two lucky losers to gain entry into the final.

Kenyan 16-year-old William Mbevi Mutunga had already run 53.08 to finish third in heat one, which meant Williams would miss the final should three runners clock quicker times than his in the third heat. Fortunately only one did. Cuban Norge Lara Sotomayor ran a sizzling 51.74 to easily qualify fastest, but Williams survived and secured the last qualifying spot for Monday's A Final. 

 Australia’s number one marathon runner, Lisa Weightman, will be in Perth next week as she uses the Perth City to Surf as one of her final lead-up races before the Commonwealth Games in October.

 In 2008 Lisa burst onto the marathon scene with the equal-quickest debut time in Australian history. Since then she has represented Australia at the Beijing Olympics, the Berlin World Championships and won her first international marathon in Nagano earlier this year.

 It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the Aussie number one, who endured seven stress fractures through her twenties and was told on countless occasions that she was “just not good enough” to make it at the highest level.

 The rest, as they say, is history.

 Lisa will be doing a series of public appearances while in Perth next week. AWA would like to invite members to the following two events:

 All AWA members and friends are offered a 10% discount on a breakfast with Lisa from 7.15am next Friday 27 August. To obtain the discount, enter the code “ATHSWA” on the event website at www.sportsevents.eventbrite.com. Further event details can be found on this page and also at http://www.sammaxwell.info/2010/08/join-australias-1-marathon-runner-for.html Note, that just for attending the breakfast, attendees receive a FREE $50 Sports Fever Shoe Voucher.

 Next Thursday 26 August from the Sports Fever Cottesloe store at 5pm, have the opportunity to run with, meet, and chat to Lisa. She will be able to talk individually about her Olympic experience, her training, her injuries, or how she copes with full time training and full time work! Athletes, coaches, family and friends are encouraged to attend with the new Athletics Season just around the corner. Sports Fever is having an “Adidas sale” that evening, with all Adidas footwear, apparel and accessories available at a discounted price.

 For any queries about either of the above events, please contact Sam Maxwell via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on 0438842123.