HOLLY Bleasdale has achieved more at 19 than any other female British pole vaulter – but she is hell-bent on delivering even more records as she sets her sights on next year’s Olympics .

Bleasdale, a Blackburn Harrier, turned her hand to gymnastics, heptathlon and hurdling before properly finding pole vault in the autumn of 2008 – and she hasn’t looked back since.

After suffering from a foot injury in 2009, she shot to prominence last year with her world junior bronze – the first medal won by a British female pole vaulter at a global championships.

Bleasdale picked up where she left off this winter not only smashing a new personal best of 4.50m but also winning British indoor gold and earning European Championship selection.

Bleasdale’s leap of 4.50m is just 10cm shy of Kate Dennison’s British record and what double Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva managed in her first full year as a senior.

She said: “It is scary to think that at the beginning of the winter my indoor personal best was 4.01m and now it is 4.50m.

“Throughout the winter I could feel my body getting stronger and stronger but I still surprised myself during the indoor season and where Yelena is now is where I’d like to be in the future.

“Knowing that I am clearing similar heights that she did at my age is a great confidence boost and if I’m jumping 4.50m now hopefully in five or six years from now I can get into the 4.80-4.90m range, maybe even five metres.”

Bleasdale’s indoor leap of 4.50m is exactly on the qualifying standard for this summer’s senior World Championships; however, her main focus for 2011 is the European Under-23 equivalent.

And with the 2012 Olympics now less than 450 days away, Bleasdale believes her European indoor outing, she missed out on the final, will stand her in good stead this summer and next.

“A couple of years ago I was sat at home watching the World Championships and I would have never have thought that I could be there – it’s crazy,” she added.

“Just being there will be an experience in itself but I think I’ve got a good chance of a medal.”

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