Just a few days after a 5.85 (19-2) clearance in just his second competition of the year, Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack has to be pleased.

"I jumped that with a very limited amount of training, I was a little surprised," Mack said of his clearance last weekend at a small jumpers competition at the Olympic training center near San Diego. "It showed I,m probably more ahead [in training] than I think I am. I,ve had less training than this time last year. And I didn,t jump 19-2 [5.85m] until two weeks before the U.S. trials last year. I'm definitely confident, and actually way ahead of the game, I think. Although, sometimes I put my back up against the wall to make it seem like I'm way behind."

But as Mack sets out towards a bid to capture his first world title in Helsinki later this summer --his next stop is at the Payton Jordan US Open in Palo Alto on Monday, May 30-- he,s thinking back to the methods that helped elevate him to the top of his event last year. And he,s not taking anything for granted.

"I have to cover all the bases," he said, adding that there is nothing automatic about gaining a spot on the U.S. team, particularly in an event as unpredictable as the pole vault. "I,m not going to think it,s a done deal."

Following up his 2004 campaign will not be an easy chore. After twice raising his personal best --first to 5.85 (19-2) and again to 5.90 (19-4)-- Mack captured his first national title at the U.S. Olympic Trials, again leaping 5.90. But that was only the beginning for the then 31-year-old. After a third place finish in Stockholm after the trials, he embarked on a seven-competition win streak that included an Olympic record 5.95 (19- 6) gold medal-winning effort in Athens and his first entry into the event,s six-meter club with a 6.01 (19-8) win at the World Athletics Final in Monaco, ending the year as the event,s dominant force.

After a slight calf strain ended his indoor season before it started, Mack has slowly been on the mend, looking to pick up where he left off last September.

"It,s been a tight rope walk," he said. "I,m coming off a calf injury. It's getting better and getting manageable and hasn't given me any problems the last couple of competitions. I,m older now and little injuries are going to come and go. But I,m pretty smart about them."

Mack said that this year he,s utilizing the same approach he used last year on his march towards Athens, one that focused as much on psychological preparedness as it did on his physical readiness.

"Obviously getting the gold was in the back of my mind and was always the goal, but at the same time, I was training against the event itself, just trying to get technically better because I knew that would allow me to attain that medal. That outcome would come into my mind sometimes when I was training, but I tried my best to keep that outcome away as far as if I was going to win or lose. There was always a possibility that I might not make the final. But I kept that out of my mind as much as the thought of winning."

The main elements to his success last year, Mack said, were "so easy that they,re difficult. Just staying focused, staying regimented, and not letting go of what you want to do, and getting to the Olympic Games and not thinking about the outcome. And besides vaulting, getting a little bit stronger, a little bit quicker. Also being balanced, also having fun. And last year I did all that. Everything else was already done."

With all those "simple" elements coming together, he likened his build- up to Athens to a snowball growing as it makes its way down a mountain. "I also felt so good at that point. It was easy, in theory. It sounds easy, but it,s over time that you come to master that."

Mack said that he,s tweaking parts of his technique this spring, beginning with extending his approach by three meters or so. "It,s going to help me keep my posture a little more," he said, adding that a longer approach will enable a more patient lead-up to his vaults. "A lot of times, I have to really work hard to get my speed going. I,ll have a little more time, and not be too rushed to get my speed."

Mack is already in Palo Alto, arriving early to monitor the swirling unpredictable winds at Stanford University,s Cobb Field that have been known to cause havoc with pole vaulters. And he thinks he,s figured it out, but he,s not telling. "I,ve told a lot of my secrets, but I,m not telling anyone this one," he said, laughing. "Maybe if I was younger I,d tell, but not now."

In Palo Alto, Mack will face a formidable field, one that includes Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson, 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong, national record holder Jeff Hartwig, Olympian Derek Miles, and younger challengers Brad Walker and Russ Buller.

With strong domestic competition and a nascent international renaissance in the event, Mack believes that 2005 could witness an assault on the 20-foot (6.10m) barrier. In February, 25-year-old Australian Paul Burgess became the 13th member of the six-meter club.

"I think so definitely. Toby and I, we,re getting closer [as friends], and we,ve been talking about that. We've never been great friends, but we've been spending more time with each other and we've been talking about that and how high we can jump. I talked to Paul [Burgess] the other day. I texted him after my 5.85 and he called me, and we were just having a laugh. He was pumped."

Stronger competition won,t only help the event, Mack believes, but it will also push others to scale higher.

"In the U.S., Toby and I have somewhat separated ourselves a little, but there,s always someone coming up. Bubka dominated for 15 years, he was always the guy on top. But if three or four guys separate themselves, big things could happen."

But despite that separation, Mack knows that there are no certainties in his event, which is why he,s focusing on a step-by-step approach before he can even begin to focus on Helsinki.

"That,s what keeps Toby and I on the edge. There,s always someone there who,s looking to knock us off the team."