EAST Lancashire pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale returns to action this weekend at the Birmingham Grand Prix targeting another win in what is turning into a stellar indoor season.

Bleasdale secured her third straight UK national indoor title in Sheffield last weekend and achieved the highest clearance in the world this year in Russia last month as she continues to build for the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg in March.

The 21-year-old Blackburn Harrier, who was sixth in the Olympic Games last year will face Cuba’s Olympic silver medallist Yarisley Silva in Birmingham having jumped a centimetre more than her this year and a buoyant Bleasdale is confident of another strong performance.

“It’s going to be tough going up against the likes of Silva, but I’m in good form and I’m confident of performing well,” said Bleasdale who is reaping the rewards of working with new coach Dan Pfaff.

“With the European Indoors getting closer I’ll be looking for a strong performance to set me up well.

“Every time I compete I get stronger. I’m in a really good place – training is going well and everything seems to be slotting into place, so it’s just a case of fine tuning things.”

Bleasdale won this event last year and added: “I really enjoyed being part of a good competition at the NIA last year and it was great to win in front of the British crowd.”