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Student leaps to top of world rankings

Pole vaulter is medal hope for Olympics

Holly Bleasdale competing in Lyon, France.

SPORT Science student Holly Bleasdale leapt to the top of the pole vault world rankings and into fourth place on the all-time world list last weekend.

20-year-old Holly’s clearance of 4.87 metres has only ever been bettered indoors by world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva and was all the more astonishing as it was achieved off a shortened, 14-stride run up.

Holly, who is studying with MMU Cheshire added a massive 16cm to her personal best raising Britain’s medal hopes for London 2012.

She jumped her lifetime best at a routine indoor athletics meeting in Lyon, France on Saturday.

Thrilled

She said: “I was thrilled when I got 4.72, and then 4.80 then when I got 4.87 I was so happy I couldn't believe it.

“I just lay still on the bed in astonishment. It’s such a big height and to be all-time 2nd best pole vaulter indoors and 4th best all-time outdoors – it’s just crazy!

“I am just so happy that all of the hard work my team and I have put in has paid off. I’m really excited to get my indoor season underway and prepare for the world indoors. Going into the competition ranked number one in the world is a massive confidence boost.”

Holly combines her training with a Distance Learning Sport Science degree which is specially designed to suit the training and competition schedules of athletes.

Congratulations

Head of Exercise and Sport Science, Neil Fowler said: “Everybody here congratulates Holly on her remarkable achievements at the weekend and wishes her luck for the world indoor championships.

“The distance learning course allows students to vary the rate of their study, which is vital for athletes with busy training schedules.

“We hope that the understanding of physiology of training, psychology and biomechanics gained on the course will help her continue onwards and upwards with her career as a high performance athlete.”

Holly is now in training for the UK Indoor Trials in Sheffield on Febuary 11-12 in preparation for the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in March and the Olympic Games in London this summer.

Published Wednesday, 25th January 2012