Steve Lewis
Pole Vault
26 year old Steve Lewis is already one of the top pole vaulters in the World and a dedicated and driven young athlete with a goal of winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He is confident and professional in his approach both to his sport and life, and is a natural communicator.
Born and raised in Stoke on Trent, Steve started his athletics career as a hurdler but after trying out a number of disciplines he followed his brother into Pole Vault. Early success at the Pole Vault as a junior gave him the ambition to go for greater things and in 2004 he made the decision to move to Loughborough to train with GB Pole Vault coach Steve Rippon.
In 2006 he won his first medal on the senior stage at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, where he cleared 5.50m to win Bronze. His preparation for the Games took place in Perth, Australia, a winter training base he has subsequently used again in preparation for the 2009 summer season.
In 2008 Steve, set a British Indoor Championship record of 5.61m and set a personal best of 5.71m in Bydgoszcz, Poland. He won the Aviva National Championships with 5.60m and cleared 5.70m to place second in Liege three days later. Steve made the Olympic team for Beijing.
In 2009 his year got off to a brilliant start with him jumping a personal best of 5.75m in Manchester in January. He went on to place 4th in the European Indoors in Turin with a jump of 5.71m in March.
His summer season then progressed with perfect timing taking him to an outdoor personal best of 5.72m in Bochum Germany just over two weeks from the Champs.
And at the World Championships in Berlin, August 2009 Steve jumped 5.65m and ended the competition ranked 7th in the World.
Again in 2010 he showed his potential when he came 6th = at the World Indoors in Qatar. Following this he made a major move in his coaching set up and changed to be coached by Dan Pfaff and under this new arrangement to spend some time training in Australia with Olympic Champion Steve Hooker. A tough summer of new learning new approaches to vaulting and using new poles meant patience and determination - that paid off with a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.
Steve finished 9th in the World at the Championships in Daegu, South Korea in 2011 and ranked 5th at the World Indoor Champs in Turkey earlier this year.
His short term aim is to break the British Pole Vault outdoor record of 5.80m. Longer term his aim is to join the 6.00m club.
He competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games finishing in fifth place with a vault of 5.75 m, becoming Britain's most successful men's pole vault Olympian.
When he is not training and competing Steve’s two favourite outdoor activities are climbing and mountain biking.
Achievements
2010 World Indoors Doha, Qatar - 6th = Commonwealth Games, Delhi India 2nd Silver
2009 Manchester January - 1st 5.75m pb indoors Turin European Indoor Championships 5.71m Bochum Germany August - 5.72m pb outdoors
2008 Aviva National Championships 1st place 5.60m Bydgoszcz, Poland 3rd = 5.71m Great Britain Indoor World Trials 1st Place 5.61m World Indoor Championships, Valencia 15q 5.35m Le Perche Tour, France 2nd Place 5.70m Taiwan International 1st Place 5.71m Birmingham GP 2nd Place 5.65m
