BLACKBURN Harriers’ pole vaulting sensation Holly Bleas-dale is determined to strike up a long-standing rivalry with Russian great Yelena Isinbayeva with London 2012 on the horizon.

The 20-year-old Chorley-born star competed directly against Isinbayeva for the first time this year at last night’s Pedro’s Cup indoor meeting at Bydgoszcz in Poland.

And the pair were the last ones standing from 10 competitors in a tense duel that saw both clear 4.68m, but then fail in three attempts to vault 4.80m.

Isinbayeva took the honours over her younger rival after managing to clear 4.68m on her second effort, compared to Bleasdale who succee-ded on her third attempt.

But it proved a fine effort from the young Harrier on the big stage.

A demanding two-week schedule sees Bleasdale fly back to Britain today ahead of this weekend’s World Indoor Trials and UK Champion-ships in Sheffield, before the AVIVA Indoor Grand Prix at Birmingham on February 18.

Her biggest test then comes at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul next month when she takes on Isinbayeva once again. Isinbayeva, the current Olympic champion, opened her 2012 campaign with a 4.70m clearance in Volgograd, on the same day that Bleasdale soared to the top of the world rankings with her stunning jump indoors of 4.87m in Lyon.

The rivalry between the two vaulters is likely to crank up a few gears ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games and Bleasdale is excited by the prospect of an on-going duel with the legendary Russian, 29.

“It would be nice if could have a little rivalry together – the two of us jumping around five metres all the time,” said Bleasdale. “It would be good for promoting pole-vaulting if we had that rivalry going. It’s only been an Olympic sport since 2000.

“I hope when she comes back into regular competition that she gets back to jumping five metres because that’s only going to push me further and make me more determined.”

Bleasdale added: “Yelena used to be a massive role model and inspiration for me. I wanted to be like her. She’s been the best for so many years and is a legend in pole vaulting.

“But now I’m competing against her this year, I will find it hard to see her as a role model when I’m trying to break her world record.”