Walker attended theUniversity of Washington, where he was a member ofPhi Gamma Delta fraternity. While there, he becameNCAA indoor pole vault champion twice and four-time NCAA All-American under Coach Pat Licari. In 2005 he became both indoor and outdoor National Champion.
Perhaps not among the favorites in the2005 World Championships, Walker nonetheless won the silver medal with 5.75. Two weeks later inRieti he set a new personal best of 5.96. In 2006 he won theWorld Indoor Championships inMoscow with a jump of 5.80meters. In July 2006, atJockgrim, Germany, Brad Walker, cleared 6 meters, the best performance of the year, in a pole vault competition. He won the gold in the world championships on September 1, 2007. On June 8, 2008 Walker jumped inEugene to a new personal and American record with 6.04.[2] Walker qualified for the2008 Olympics, but failed to clear a height in the preliminary rounds.
Walker retained his US championship title in 2009, even though his status as reigning World Champion gave him a bye into the2009 World Championships in Athletics.[3]
At the2012 Summer Olympics, Walker reached the final but finished 12th with a 5.50m vault.[4]
Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
United States
