Bleasdale can shine on the biggest stage

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Lewis: Bleasdale can shine on the biggest stage
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Posted: Friday 11th November 2011 | 11:24
By Charlie Talbot-Smith, Sportsbeat

DESPITE fluffing her lines in spectacular style on her major senior international debut this summer Holly Bleasdale can be the star of next year’s Olympics – according to British pole vault teammate Steve Lewis.


ALL GROWN UP: Commonwealth silver medallist Steve Lewis has backed teammate Holly Bleasdale to find her best form at London 2012

Lewis, who claimed silver at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year, and Bleasdale were part of a British trio that jetted off to the World Championships in Daegu in August.

After claiming a new British record of 4.70m and the European under-23 title in the build up to her South Korean adventure, Bleasdale was tipped by many as an outside medal chance.



However the Blackburn Harrier came back to earth with a bang, buckling under the pressure of a world-class field and failing to register a height on her way to bowing out in qualifying.

That setback has led to question marks over her Olympic credentials with Bleasdale’s tender years, she will still only be 20 at the Games, and perceived lack of experience counting against her.

Lewis knows all about shouldering a weight of expectation – he won his first international medal, Commonwealth bronze, aged just 19 in Melbourne in March 2006.

But he believes there should be no questions raised about Bleasdale’s temperament for London 2012 – insisting his British teammate has what it takes to be a medal contender in the capital.

“I hope, and really believe, that in London Holly can really shine on the biggest stage of them all,” said Lewis – who finished ninth with a leap of 5.65m at the World Championships this summer.

“She has the capability that she can do something special and I would love for it to be in London when all eyes are on her.

“She is no stranger to having expectation on her because she has handled it so well as she has risen up the ranks so I don’t think she will have any trouble at London.”

Bleasdale’s rise to prominence in 2011 was meteoric with the 19-year-old leaving former British No.1 Kate Dennison for dead last summer.

And Lewis, speaking at the Aviva School Sport Matters Awards, reckons Bleasdale’s record-breaking displays are made all the more impressive by her relative international inexperience.

“It is hard to believe just how young Holly is and just how good an athlete she is,” he added. “Holly is still such a young athlete but she is already performing at a world-class level and she is more than holding her own and she has shown great talent already.”