Short Interviews
Dean Mellor
Great Britain International

Great Britain International

World Junior Championships

Personal Best 5.30m age 24 in 1995

Height 170cm

Weight 67kgs

Q1 Pole Vault High Point

Great Britain debut in the senior team at the age of 18 competing against the USA and USSR. In the American team was a guy called Greg Duplantis. Who is now the father of mondo.

Q2 Pole Vault Low Point

First major injury running a 200m indoor race. ( first time I’d ran on an indoor track ) I was the fittest I’d ever been, thought I’d run 21s Tore my hamstring going down the hill accelerating off the bend.

Never got back to that speed again.

Q3 Biggest Pole & Highest Grip

16ft 180lbs Grip 4.60m

Jumped 5m on 14' 190lbs / 5.30 on 15' 180lbs and a 16' 180lbs pole

Q4 What are your 3 key factors for success in Pole Vault

1. Self confidence in what you’re doing.

2. Keeping fit.

   
   

Q5 Life after Pole Vault.

When did you know it was time to retire? Was it hard? What did you do after Pole Vault?

The end came out of the blue, had gone training it wasn’t going well and that was it I’d had enough. I was 30 and it took longer to warm up than I’d be training for.