PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Ingemar Stenmark managed 3.00 – close to a personal best – in his WC debut.
But there probably won’t be that many more pole vaulting competitions, according to the alpine legend.
– No, I’m done with the competition devil, says the 68-year-old.
Ingemar Stenmark did some pole vaulting in my early teens. But the elite career became, as is well known, in alpine skiing instead.
The Swede, who lined up World Cup victories as well as Olympic and World Cup medals in slalom and giant slalom, has won “Champion of Champions” and “Let’s dance” after his career.
Stenmark in the WC
But last year he finally took up the pole vault again. A year later it was time for the WC debut, in the veteran WC in Gothenburg.
Admittedly, there was no medal. But Ingemar Stenmark had the biggest public support without competition.
– It was beyond expectation that so many people came and that they clapped and shouted both for me and the others, he says.
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The Veteran WC’s biggest star entered the pole vault at 2.70 meters and succeeded straight away – touching a season’s best. Then, however, the alpine legend was in a bad mood. He tore the first attempt at 2.85. And the second.
Thanked the audience
But cheered on by the audience at Slottsskogsvallen – it was packed in the stands closest to the pole vault mat – the 68-year-old managed to get over in the last attempt.
Stenmark broke into a big smile and lifted his cap to thank the crowd for the support – and repeated the joyous gesture even after clearing 3.00 in the second attempt.
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It is only two centimeters from the personal best, he says. After that, however, it got a little too high and the competition ended for him with three rips at 3.15.
Whether there will be any more competitions sounds doubtful.
– Okay, it might be good to have a competition as a goal to fight against, but I’m not really keen on competing, he says.
Courtesy of Mondo
On the way to the championship in Gothenburg, Stenmark has had some help from, among others, the world’s best pole vaulter, Armand Duplantis.
“Mondo” Duplantis, who won both Olympic gold and set a world record in Paris recently, is impressed by how Stenmark has approached his new sport.
– You can see that he thinks it’s fun and is interested. It’s insanely impressive how good shape and athletic he is still at his age, he tells Aftonbladet.
According to Stenmark, the two stars have talked about many things when they met in the training hall in Sollentuna – but not very much pole vaulting.
– He is on another level, states the alpine legend.
– I watch all his competitions, he is an incredible jumper. That is truly impressive in such a difficult sport.
Facts about Stenmark
Born: on 18 March 1956 in Tärnaby.
Merits in brief: Two Olympic golds and one Olympic bronze (also counted as WC medals). Three golds and one silver at separate Alpine WCs. A total of 86 World Cup victories, three overall World Cup wins. Has been awarded the achievement gold twice.
After the alpine career: Among other things, a win in SVT’s “Master of Masters” in 2011 and in TV4’s “Let’s dance” in 2015.
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