HOLLY Bleasdale has vehemently denied comparing Yelena Isinbayeva to ‘a tramp’ as the pole vault duo prepare to go head to head for the medal positions at the Olympic Games.

Blackburn Harriers athlete Bleasdale, from Chorley, has put herself into contention in London after a superb 18 months and finished in third place at Friday night’s prestigious Diamond League meeting in Monaco.

Isinbayeva, the world record holder and gold medallist at the last two Olympic Games, suffered disappoint-ment as she failed to record a height at the meeting.

Quotes then later emerged attributed to Bleasdale, comparing Isinbayeva to ‘a tramp on a street corner’ for the way the Russian often wraps herself up in a sleeping bag with a towel on her head between vaults in a bid to remain focused.

But Bleasdale, who told the Lancashire Telegraph last year that she idolised Isinbayeva and would one day like to challenge for her world records, quickly took to Twitter to make it clear that she said nothing critical of her rival.

“For the record – I have never said anything bad about Isinbayeva think she is an incredible athlete!” Bleasdale tweeted. “I’m really upset reading this when I have never said it!”