The Road to Daegu: Alana Boyd

Ever since Emma George won the 1998 Commonwealth title in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.20m, Australia has never lost the title. Tatiana Grigorieva (4.35m in 2002), Kym Howe (4.62m in 2006) and most recently Alana Boyd (4.40m in 2010) have all tasted success at Commonwealth level, with Grigorieva backing up after winning the silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

So with so much success at the Commonwealth Games it is only a matter of time before we see the success turn into Olympic medals – joining Grigorieva on the medal dais - and Alana Boyd is ready to take up the challenge.

Only taking pole vaulting up as a 19 year-old, after being a quality hurdler as a junior, Boyd soon found the event to be a perfect fit. Understanding that she didn’t quite have the explosive speed of her mum (Denise Boyd (Robertson) – a former Australian record holder over 200m: 22.35sec and Commonwealth champion in 1978), Alana has used her dancing and gymnastics background to enjoy success in pole vaulting.  Ever since she took up the pole vault only 8 short years ago, Boyd has never looked back, winning two National titles (2008 and 2009) and has improved from vaulting 3.85m in 2003 to pushing her personal best out to 4.56m (achieved in Monaco in 2008). Along the journey to Commonwealth glory in Delhi, Boyd also managed to make it to the 2007 World Championships and the 2008 Olympic Games – a résumé that many athletes would be envious of.

Although there is no doubting the thrill of winning gold in India, Boyd is eager to move on to the next challenge, which is a successful showing at the upcoming 2011 World Championships in Korea and then more success at the London Olympics in 2012. With more self belief than ever before, Boyd is ready for the next chapter in her career which has included a strategic move to Perth to be coached by one the world’s top pole vaulting coaches – Alex Parnov.

After a frustrating 2009, where Boyd had to contend with a gaglion cyst behind the knee – which eventually derailed her World Championship campaign, she is ready to shine once again on the international scene. Although injuries have played a part in Boyd’s career to date, a successful European season back in 2008 has her confident that anything is possible. (ed: We are also hoping that Alana’s sister, Jacinta Boyd, can return to the international scene after suffering an injury plagued 2010 season – after running an explosive 11.49sec early on in the year and more than capable of jumping 6.80m+ in the long jump).

Currently enjoying a short holiday with family and friends back in her home state of Queensland, Boyd will shortly make her way back to Perth to join the Parnov training group (which is made up of Amanda Bisk, Liz and Vicky Parnov and World and Olympic champion – Steve Hooker). Training with the world’s no.1 vaulter and being trained by the very best coach in the world was a big part of why Boyd decided to part company with her former coach, and father, Ray Boyd (12 time National pole vault champion with a PB of 5.30m). Although it was a difficult decision to leave behind her family and friends, it was a decision that needed to be made. The path to Olympic glory always contains sacrifices and Boyd knew that she needed to make one for that one shot at the ultimate success story.

The magical mark for Boyd over the upcoming domestic season will be 4.45m (the ‘A’ standard for the 2011 World Championships), although Boyd has set her sights on breaking her personal best of 4.56m. A mark close to 4.60m will then see her line up in the top European meetings in July and August, with likely meetings on the Gold Coast in June prior to Europe also on her schedule.

While there will be some stiff opposition in Australia from the likes of Bisk and the Parnov sisters, Boyd will be looking to tackle the likes of World Record holder Yelena Isinbayeva (returning to the world scene after taking 2009 off) and 2010 European champion Svetlana Feofanova to gather even more international experience before Daegu in 2011 and London in 2012. In her own words she was too excited and exuberant at the Beijing Olympics, and technically couldn’t deliver at the level required (Boyd finished =16^th in qualifying, clearing 4.30m), but if everything goes to plan Boyd will be vaulting at much higher heights over the coming years.

At 26 years of age Boyd is unsure as to how long she will be in the sport, although there is one thing that she is definite about – if she is vaulting well then Rio in 2016 is not completely out of the question! We can only cross our fingers that Boyd will join Grigorieva with an Olympic medal hanging around her neck, the ultimate dream of any track and field athlete. Alana admitted that early on in her career she felt the pressure of public expectation that accompanies the offspring of famous parents, but not anymore. She is ready to taste Olympic success and there’s nothing to suggest that it won’t happen.