Walker advances to finals; top vaulter falters

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brad Walker’s bid to make the U.S. Olympic team was enhanced when American record holder Jeff Hartwig failed to qualify amid controversy Friday on the first day of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Walker, the University High School graduate who competed for the University of Washington, was one of 12 vaulters to advance to Sunday’s final after clearing the qualifying height of 18 feet, 1/2 inch. Walker, the fourth seed coming into the trials, cleared both qualifying heights on his first attempts. Just five vaulters cleared both heights without a miss.

“Brad looked good today,” said UW coach Pat Licari in a school press release. “It’s good to get those first jumps out of the way, and be able to focus on Sunday.

Sunday’s final will not include Hartwig, who failed to make a height and who will end his career having competed in one Olympics – eight years ago.

Hartwig is 36 years old. His only Olympics was Atlanta in 1996, when he finished 11th. He has run out of time, which is exactly what happened to him on the runway for his third attempt at the qualifying height.

Hartwig had passed at 17-8 1/2 , then missed twice at 18-0 1/2 . As he ran down the runway for his third attempt, the brisk wind blew him a bit off balance, so he stopped just short of the block.

He knew he didn’t have much time. Vaulters have 1 minute to take their jump.

As he described it, he passed the official who operated the time clock and asked how long he had left. He was told 12 seconds. He grabbed a lighter pole because he was a bit tired from the run, stepped on the runway, and was told his time had run out.

Hartwig checked with fans who were videotaping the event, and was told only 8 seconds had passed. He felt he should have had 4 remaining, and besides, he said, the wrong official ruled his time had expired.

Hartwig filed a protest, but had to leave the track to do so. He insisted he should have been allowed to do his third jump immediately after he said he was protesting.

About 20 minutes later, after all the standards and other equipment had been removed from the venue, he was allowed to take his third jump.

He missed badly.

“I’m absolutely in shock that the officials know the rules so poorly,” he said. “All the athletes on the field knew the rules better than the officials did. They seemed confused.”

U.S. Track and Field men’s chairman John Chaplin said: “He was treated more than fairly and the referee expedited it.”