Posted: Dec 21, 2009 9:46 PM by Andrew Masuda
Updated: Dec 21, 2009 9:46 PM
KSBY Sports' countdown of the top stories of 2009 involving local athletes has begun.
It started with Atascadero native Chelsea Johnson, who landed on the medal podium at the 2009 World Track and Field Championships.
The jump of her career happened on August 17 in Berlin.
The Atascadero High graduate cleared 15 feet, three inches on her first attempt. It was her best jump of the season and just shy of her personal record.
With it she captured a silver medal for Team USA in her first career World Championship appearance.
She also became the second American female pole vaulter ever to medal at Worlds, and the first since 2001.
The surprise medal came a little more than a year after Chelsea failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics and about 16 months after she broke her wrist when her pole snapped at practice.
Chelsea's silver medal added to her family's medal count. Her father and coach Jan Johnson won an Olympic Bronze medal also in the pole vault.
Tuesday, KSBY Sports will unveil two more of the top local sports stories of the year. Ultimately, once the top nine of 2009 are announced, an on-line poll will be held to let you decide the number one story of the year.
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