High jumper Brandon Starc hopes to rise above Game of Thrones cult figure status
HE walks away from the Olympic Games with a global profile but Brandon Starc hopes he can learn from a disappointing finish in Rio to make his name in high jump.
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HE walks away from the Olympic Games with a global profile but Brandon Starc hopes he can learn from a disappointing finish in Rio to make his name in high jump — not just as a Game of Thrones cult figure.
Starc did well to make the Olympic high jump final but admitted to feeling the nerves after crashing out of contention very early. Canada’s Derek Drouin won with a jump of 2.38m but Starc could only clear 2.20m, lower than his qualifying jump of 2.29m.
The low-key exit was at odds with the huge profile Starc has enjoyed on social media at the Olympics, where his name’s similarity to the character Bran Stark in hit show Games of Thrones has spawned thousands of tweets and numerous memes.
Starc said he “too many” mentions on his Twitter account to tally.
“Last year I got it a bit, but this year was much bigger,” Starc said.
“I still haven’t watched one episode (of Game of Thrones) so I don’t really know what’s going on. I know there is a character, but that’s all I know. Maybe I need to watch it.”
Starc, who graciously endures the constant connections to cricketing brother Mitchell, said he was fine with all the attention.
“I will take any publicity I can get,” he joked.
Starc admitted he felt lacklustre in the high jump final, and after taking two attempts to clear 2.20m, he failed on all three attempts at 2.25m.
“I didn’t have the same attack or the same oomph in my run up. I couldn’t really get off the ground as well as I needed but I think I can learn on that and go well next time,” Starc said.
The 22-year-old stayed in the infield to watch the competition after being rubbed out, and he said it was a valuable learning experience.
Starc has struggled to produce in finals on the big stage over the last few years. He was first-out in the World Championships final in Beijing last year and he finished eighth in Glasgow in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Starc said he had to have more self-belief.
“Considering how big the difference was, they’re not too special, the higher jumpers,” he said.
“I need to really back myself and know that I am good enough, so when next comes around I am not so nervous.
“The things that they do, I don’t think that’s out of my reach too much. I am only 22 so I do have a few more years to get up there. But in the final, there is no slacking around. It goes (2 metres) 20, 25 and 29, and then it’s into PB range. You kind of have to be ready so I will learn from that and work on it next time.”
Starc has his eyes on the World Championships in London next year and then contending heavily at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
“My last Commonwealth Games experience wasn’t so great so to do it at home, to medal, that would be pretty awesome on the road to Tokyo.”
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