Holly’s leap of faith finally puts an end to years of torment
HOLLY BRADSHAW admitted she had considered quitting athletics before finally landing her first global outdoor medal in Tokyo.
The pole vaulter cleared 4.85metres to take bronze but could not follow the USA’s gold medallist Katie Nageotte or Russian world champion Anzhelika Sidorova over 4.90m.
It represents a major breakthrough for the Preston athlete after being close to medals so many times, including fourth place at the 2019 world championships.
She said: ‘There were definitely times I thought I might walk away. The injuries were tough, and the pressure I put myself under, but since 2018 I’ve never thought like that. I’ve absolutely loved it.
‘I meet some incredible people and have some incredible relationships. I always thought I’d keep going and stay in the sport because at the core it’s what I love doing.’
Bradshaw, 29, revealed she had lost heart by the time of the last Olympics in Rio in 2016 and the home world championships in London the following year.
‘The start of my career leading up to 2012 I didn’t put a step wrong. While that was good in the moment, I didn’t really learn much about myself and the event. So then the four years leading to Rio and 2017 were really difficult,’ she added. ‘I had so many injuries, I put so much pressure on myself, I just got myself in a really dark hole. In 2018 I had to change a lot of my inner values, work on myself and change stuff to enjoy it more.’
Dina Asher-Smith returned to the track to lead Britain’s 4x100m women’s relay team (pictured) into today’s final ahead of Jamaica and the USA.
Asher-Smith, who tore her hamstring last month, pulled out of the 200m after failing to make the 100m final but helped Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Daryll Neita (pictured) set a new national record of 41.55 seconds in victory. ‘There was never any doubt in my mind I’d be lining up here,’ she said. ‘I only had one day off then my coach, John Blackie, had me back on the training track.’
Britain’s men – CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake – qualified second from their heat, clocking 38.02.