Dmitri Markov
Belarusian-Australian pole vaulter
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Dmitri Markov (Belarusian: Дзьмітры Маркаў; born 14 March 1975 in Vitebsk, Byelorussian SSR) is a retired Belarusian-Australian pole vaulter. He is a former world champion and current Oceanian record holder.[2] His gold medal winning jump at the 2001 World Championships made him the third person ever (of seven, as of 2021) to clear 6.05 metres or 19 feet 10 inches.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Native name | Дзьмітры Маркаў | |||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Australian | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 March 1975 (age 51)[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||
| Country |
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| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||
Event | Pole vault | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best | 6.05 metres or 19 feet 10 inches (2001) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Biography
He originally competed for his birth country Belarus, but fell out with the Belarusian Athletics Federation and refused to compete for the country at the 1998 European Championships. He moved to Australia and was granted citizenship in 1999. He soon set a new Oceanian record in pole vault with 5.95 metres or 19 feet 6 inches having already jumped 6.00 metres or 19 feet 8 inches in 1998 while representing Belarus. He later improved the Oceanic record to 6.05 metres or 19 feet 10 inches, the third person ever to clear that height, as he won the 2001 World Championships.
His best Olympic performance was in 2000 when he finished fifth. His last major competition was the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, where he won the silver medal with a 5.60 metres or 18 feet 4 inches vault.
He was named Western Australian Sports Star of the Year in 2001. Dmitri was the South Australian 2005-2006 Open Male Athlete of the Year and inducted into the South Australian Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2012 he was inducted into the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame.
Dmitiri Markov announced his retirement in early 2007 due to chronic foot injuries. His last competition was the World Athletics Tour in Melbourne on 2 March 2007.[3]
His son Oleg Markov plays for Collingwood in the Australian Football League and has previously played for Gold Coast and Richmond after being drafted in the 2015 National Draft.[4]
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Belarus | ||||
| 1994 | World Junior Championships | Lisbon, Portugal | 2nd | 5.50 m |
| 1996 | European Indoor Championships | Stockholm, Sweden | 1st | 5.85 m |
| Summer Olympics | Atlanta, United States | 6th | 5.86 m | |
Representing  Australia | ||||
| 1999 | World Championships | Sevilla, Spain | 2nd | 5.90 m |
| 2000 | Summer Olympics | Sydney, Australia | =5th | 5.80 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 1st | 6.05 m |
| 2003 | World Championships | Paris, France | 4th | 5.85 m |
| World Athletics Final | Monte Carlo, Monaco | 3rd | 5.76 m | |
| 2006 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 2nd | 5.60 m |
Personal best
- Pole Vault: 6.05 metres or 19 feet 10 inches (2001)
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