KUALA LUMPUR: Help is on the way for national pole vaulter Roslinda Samsu (pic).

The Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) have decided to hire Belgium’s Ely Van Vlierberghe to help improve Roslinda’s performance.

Roslinda, who is coached by Russian Gennady Potapovich, only managed 4.30m in the qualifying rounds of the Beijing Olympics and failed to make the finals.

The effort was way off her national record of 4.40m, which she set in a Barcelona meet last year.

MAAU deputy president Karim Ibrahim said they were getting her a new coach not because they were unhappy with her performance but because they felt that she needed new coach to help her to improve on her personal best.

“And the former Belgian pole vaulter comes with exceptionally good credentials, having worked with Ukraine’s Sergey Bubka — the former world and Olympic champions who has broken the world record 35 times in his career,” said Karim.

“The Belgian has also helped women pole vaulters clear 4.60m in athletics meets. We need coaches like him to help her improve on her personal best.

“There were many who were interested in being the national pole vault coach but none came with such good credentials as Vlierberghe’s.’’

Karim added that besides training Roslinda, the coach would also be expected to scout for talents and help the back-up pole vaulters.

“The coach’s main mission will be to produce Asian and world class pole vaulters. We will recommend his name to the NSC (National Sports Council) during our joint committee meeting next week,’’ said Karim.

He added that they had also roped in former Iranian head coach Aziz Mirzaei to handle the middle and long distance runners.

KUALA LUMPUR: High jumper Lee Hup Wei made amends for his disappointment in the Beijing Olympics by winning a silver medal on countback in the second Asian All Star athletics championships in Bhopal, India, on Thursday.

The 21-year-old and two other high jumpers all cleared 2.18m in the eight-man event. In the end, Japan’s Tsuchiya Hikaru won the gold on countback and India’s Hari Sanker Roy settled for the bronze.

Hup Wei, who bagged the gold at the Asian and Track and Field (ATF) in Jordan last year, failed in three attempts to clear 2.20m.

However, his effort was way off his national record of 2.27m, which he set at the China Open in May to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

In the Beijing Olympics, Hup Wei failed to qualify for the final after failing to clear 2.25m in the qualifying rounds. Hup Wei said in a telephone interview from India yesterday that he was satisfied with his performance despite the poor jump.

“I could not make a decent jump as I had only arrived hours before the event. However, winning the silver was a good morale booster for me as this is the first time I have been invited to the Asian All Star,” said Hup Wei, who is coached by Cuban Jose Luis Alfaro.

Hup Wei’s silver medal feat earned him US$800 while Hikaru and Hari Sanker pocketed US$1,500 and US$500 each.

A total of 150 athletes from 20 countries took part in the one-day event, which offered US$60,000 in prize money.

Hup Wei’s next assignment is the Hong Kong Open next month. “My aim is to improve on my national record,’’ said Hup Wei.

( Source : The Star Online www.thestar.com.my )