A MAIDEN Commonwealth Games medal just eluded Holly Bradshaw on Friday but the Blackburn Harrier insists there is plenty more to come from her this summer.
Bradshaw ended up fourth in a dramatic women’s pole vault event in the Carrara Stadium, clearing 4.60m – the same as Australia’s Nina Kennedy who got bronze - but missing out on count back for previous failures.
But after missing the world indoors through injury, Bradshaw admitted that her ring rust had cost her in the end as Canada’s Alysha Newman took gold.
“I am obviously a little bit disappointed because I could have got a medal in that field,” she said.
“But I am a little bit hit and miss with the vaulting at the minute. I struggled a little with the timing of my jumps out there.
“But when I hit I feel really good so I just need to put months and months of vaulting back together.”
Injuries have, unfortunately, been part and parcel of Bradshaw’s athletics career.
She has had back, knee and two Achilles surgeries in the last four years and missed out on Glasgow 2014 as a result.
Injuries reared their head again as she missed the world indoors in Birmingham earlier this year, but the 26-year-old is now feeling fit and ready to challenge this summer – with the European Championships in Berlin a major target in September.
“I have struggled with the injury a bit, to be here and fit is good. I was disappointed to miss the indoors because I was feeling really ready,” she added.
“It took me a bit of time to get back and I am just missing that little bit of vaulting.
“I feel in the best shape of my life, I am just missing that zip and that spark in what is such a technical event.
“But I have got plenty of time to get that back before the Europeans. I am trying to find my way and my groove and I have time to do that.
“I am going to open up in Doha in three weeks today.”
And after watching her good friend Newman take the gold, Bradshaw now has the extra motivation she needs to prepare for a busy summer.
“We are all really good mates, Alysha is a really close mate so I am sat out there, disappointed for myself but elated for them,” she added.
“It’s an individual sport, you can’t really affect each other, so it’s nice to see them doing well and it does inspire me.
“I am excited to get my outdoor season going now.”
npower is the Official Partner of Team England and is giving our athletes the power of support by recording a brand new version of their anthem, Jerusalem. To listen to the track visit npower.com/teamengland
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here