BLACKBURN Harrier Holly Bleasdale secured her fourth straight national indoor Pole Vault title on Saturday and with it sent out a warning to the rest of the world.
Bleasdale cleared a world-leading 4.73m on her way to victory putting her right at the top of the contenders list for the World Indoor Championships in Poland next month.
Bleasdale only entered the competition when the bar reached 4.46m and with no other athlete clearing that height one jump was enough.
The 21-year-old then leapt 4.60m before requesting the bar be raised to 4.73m.
Roared on by the crowd Bleasdale, who was already joint world leader, took that title for herself after clearing the bar at her first attempt.
She then attempted a stadium record of 4.81m but despite the bar staying up, it was judged to have slipped onto the safety pegs.
Despite missing out on that accolade Bleasdale was delighted to have jumped a personal best.
She said: “I was so happy with 4.73m. I feel like I’m in great shape and felt like I could have jumped 4.90m.
“It’s the first time in a couple of years that I’ve really started to enjoy my pole vault.
“I’ve got a great coach and I have an amazing training group – we all spur each other on and I’m just in the best place ever now.
“I feel I’m getting better and better and into my groove with every competition I do.
“I feel I’ve improved a lot – I tweaked a few things and felt more like the vaulter I have been in training.
“Moving forward I don’t have to worry about perfecting my technique, I can just go out there and enjoy it.”
Bleasdale will face stiffer tests this season with the Olympian, who finished sixth at the London 2012 Games, only entering the competition after all her opponents had exited.
Of her long wait to get started she added: “I had to warm up and wait for two hours to come in. But I’m used to that now. It’s been like that for a couple of years here.
“It really does help having the crowd behind you.
“But I try to stay as motivated and confident throughout that period.”
Bleasdale now turns her attention to the Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham this weekend.
Then comes the World Indoor Championships in Poland next month where Bleasdale is already targeting a medal.
She will then switch her attention to the outdoor season with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow representing an excellent chance of a gold medal, before the European Championships in Zurich.
Elsewhere, James Dasaolu issued another statement of intent ahead of the World Indoor Championships by recovering from an awful start to beat Dwain Chambers to the UK 60 metres title in Sheffield.
Dasaolu claimed victory in 6.50 seconds at the English Institute of Sport, the second fastest time in the world this year.
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson set a new national high jump record.
The 21-year-old cleared 1.96m to eclipse a mark jointly held by four women by one centimetre.
She followed that victory up on Sunday by claiming gold in the women’s long jump with a personal best of 6.75m.
The Liverpool Harrier is likely to compete in the pentathlon in the World Indoor Championships.
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