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Olympic great Cathy Freeman believes Steve Hooker has the ability and experience to return to his best at the London Games.
Olympic great Cathy Freeman has told pole vault champion Steve Hooker to trust himself as he bids to overcome his mental demons in time for the London Games.
Hooker has recently returned to international competition after taking time out when he admitted his confidence on the runway had hit rock bottom.
With less than two months to go until London, he hasn't made a promising start to ironing out the yips.
In his first international event in his comeback, he crashed out in the Shanghai Diamond League meeting on May 20 when he was unable to clear 5.30m in his three attempts on a wet night.
But Freeman says the defending Olympic champion and Australia's athletics team captain needs a simple approach to his comeback.
"Trust, trust in yourself. It's really that simple," Freeman said on Tuesday.
"If you love what you do and every cell in your body is convinced and is totally directed toward one goal, then it's just a matter of trust.
"That instinct to compete kicks in, throw in the drama, the meaning of what it is you're going for and how often this opportunity comes around. You just have to trust in yourself.
"That mental rehearsal - gearing up your senses for the perfect performance. And visualisation, because I believe the body will follow."
While Freeman says she can't understand the technical aspects of Hooker's return, the Sydney 400m Olympic champion can certainly relate to the pressure he's under.
And she believes he has the ability and experience to return to his best in London.
"If he's half the competitor I think he is, he can," Freeman said at a Coles Sports for Schools launch in Melbourne.
"He's an Olympic champion, he knows. He knows how to do it - he's done it before. The picture's changed slightly, but he knows."
Hooker reached the Olympic qualifying mark of 5.72m in a custom-made indoor training facility in Perth earlier this month.
Following his disappointment in Shanghai, Hooker has a busy schedule coming up, with a Diamond League meeting in Rome on Thursday, an event in Munich on June 5 and in Lille in France four days later.
Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie has already staked his claim for London with the world's best leap this year of 5.90m to win the Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic last weekend.
Freeman will be travelling to London to work with sponsors and act as an unofficial mentor to any Australian athletes who want to seek her advice.
She says she'll be among the loudest supporters cheering for Australia's 100m hurdles gold medal favourite Sally Pearson and also has a soft spot for indigenous discus thrower Benn Harradine.
"Go the indigenous boy!" Freeman says.
She also hopes to see long jumper Mitchell Watt and discus thrower Dani Samuels bring home medals.
