http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ju ... pole-vaultHolly Bleasdale's pole vaulting ambition leads trio of fresh hopes
With Lawrence Okoye in the discus and the ballet dancer turned hammer thrower Sophie Hitchon, Holly Bleasdale is part of a trio of bright teenage prospects for the UK trials in Birmingham
Anna Kessel
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 28 July 2011 20.50 BST
Article history
Holly Bleasdale has developed from a pole vaulting novice three years ago to setting a world age-group record of 4.70m that ranked her No6 in the world this year. Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images
Two years ago Britain's head coach, Charles van Commenee, was lamenting the state of the nation's field events. The Dutchman seemed almost resigned to the idea that there would not be many medals at London 2012 in that area.
"We are appalling in the throws and the women's jumps," he said at the time, "but we knew that and we're not going to surprise the world in the next few weeks in these events … In certain events, we cannot improve before 2012 because time is against us, but long term certainly."
Little did he dream that two years later Great Britain would have produced three 19-year-old national senior record breakers this summer, let alone boast two in the world's top 10.
Three remarkable success stories have become intertwined – Lawrence Okoye in the discus, Holly Bleasdale in the pole vault and Sophie Hitchon in the hammer all won medals in this month's European Under-23 Championships (two golds and one bronze) despite being recent recruits to their events.
Okoye, from south London, gave up a promising career in rugby to train for 2012 in the discus and after 18 months in the sport is already ranked fourth in the world this year, with a European Under-23 title and the British record under his belt to boot.
Hitchon announced her presence by winning the world junior title last summer – the first Briton to win a global medal in the hammer – after switching from ballet three years earlier. This year she improved the British senior record for a second time, throwing a personal best of 69.59m at the European Under-23 Championships to take bronze and climb into the world's top 30.
Ahead of the UK trials in Birmingham this weekend Bleasdale has developed from a pole vaulting novice three years ago to setting a world age-group record of 4.70m that ranked her No6 in the world this year.
Not so long ago only one British woman was known for setting a plethora of national records in the event – 27-year-old Kate Dennison – but Bleasdale's startling progress has blown her rival out of the water.
Asked whether Dennison had reminded her that pole vaulters are renowned for breaking records by small margins – not insignificantly rewarded at £5,000 a time in this country – Bleasdale says: "I know, I know, but I just want to get big heights. I'm not bothered about breaking it 1cm at a time … I've wanted the British record for a while now and I'm glad that I've got it and exceeded it by 10cm. It's given me a lot of confidence and I'm just excited to get back vaulting now in competitions where people are pushing me on."
Earlier in the day, sat alongside the Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu and the multiple world and European medal winner Jenny Meadows, Bleasdale had to pinch herself about keeping company with such accomplished athletes. At the time of Ohuruogu's Olympic win in August 2008, Bleasdale had not even attempted a pole vault.
It was only in October that year that she tried it at a taster session at her local athletics club – after several years of heptathlon and gymnastics – and found she had an aptitude for the event. Now she is being tipped for a medal at the world championships, which start next month in the South Korean city of Daegu, and a podium place in 2012.
Not that Bleasdale, who helps out with the odd waitressing shift at her local Italian restaurant, is getting carried away. "People have said you should go there [Daegu] for a medal but I don't think I should because there's quite a lot of girls who have been jumping for a long time who can jump consistently at 4.70m. I think I need to get the consistency before I go there all confident for a medal."
The teenager says she has plenty to learn in terms of her technique. "If I'm jumping 4.70m now with faults then once I've ironed them out in a couple of years' time I'll be jumping a lot higher." She does not rule out the chances of her heroine, Yelena Isinbayeva, the two-times Olympic champion and world record holder now returning from injury. "She can jump 4.80m whatever day she wants. I think she's a big threat at the worlds."