Athletics: Holly Bleasdale vaults to British record and world second

Published on Monday 23 January 2012 01:26

Holly Bleasdale admitted she had astonished even herself when she marked herself out as a potential Olympic star by smashing her own British indoor pole vault record and going second on the all-time list.

British indoor pole vault record and going second on the all-time list.

The 20-year-old cleared 4.87 metres in Lyon on Saturday, having initially improved her record by one centimetre with 4.72m and then raised the bar to 4.80m. She soared over 4.87m to move top of the world rankings in 2012 and second on the world indoor all-time list behind Yelena Isinbayeva, whose record of 5.00m Bleasdale tried to eclipse before failing at 5.01m.

She said: “I went for 4.87 as I knew that would make me second all-time indoors. I was thrilled when I got 72, and then 80 then when I got 87 I was so happy I couldn’t believe it. I just lay still on the bed in astonishment. The crowd was absolutely electric and this was an amazing boost.

“Everyone was on their feet shouting and when I attempted 5.01m the atmosphere was just out of this world. I’ve never experienced it like that before. I ran through twice and had one good attempt. I was lucky to have the chance to attempt a world record but next time I will be more mentally prepared.”

Isinbayeva opened her season in Volgograd on Saturday with a best of 4.70m. Bleasdale failed to register a height in qualifying at last year’s world championships in Daegu, but has been tipped for a medal at her home Olympics in London in August.

She said: “I can’t wait to watch the videos and get back into a little block of training before the trials, where I will be off a full approach and hoping the crowd can spur me on some more.”

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