Kate Dennison believes her British rivalry with Holly Bleasdale can spur them both into medal contention in London.
Experienced pole vaulter given a kick by younger rival this season
Kate Dennison believes her British rivalry with rising pole vault star Holly Bleasdale can spur them both into medal contention at the London Olympics.
The 27-year-old has dominated the national scene since winning her first UK title back in 2006, but she was denied a fifth successive domestic outdoor crown by Bleasdale in Birmingham at the weekend.
Last month Dennison also lost her British record to the 19-year-old from Lancashire, who smashed the previous mark of 4.60metres with a stunning clearance of 4.70m at a meeting in Mannheim.
Not only did this shatter her own personal best by 17cm but it was also a world record for a teenager, eclipsing the 4.55m set by Russia's double Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva.
Dennison, who is beginning to reap the benefits of technical changes implemented over the winter, has improved her own PB to 4.61m this season and feels Bleasdale's rapid rise to prominence has given her a kick, as the duo prepare for the World Championships in Daegu at the end of August.
She said: "Holly has given me a real run for my money this year and she's broken my British record but if we're both at our best then it will be really competitive between us.
"In the past I've become a bit chilled out and happy with what I'm doing but Holly has spurred me on and I need to step it up to become British number one again.
"Two years ago I took my PB from 4.40m to 4.60 on my own although last year I was perhaps a little complacent. This year I've jumped another PB so hopefully I'll be up in the 4.70s very soon like Holly."
Final destination
Dennison finished sixth at the previous World Championships in Berlin two years ago and is confident of doing even better this time around, before launching an assault on the medals in 2012.
The Sale Harrier said: "My first objective will be to make the final and then after then I think it's anyone's game.
"Nobody has been jumping consistently high this year - even Yelena - so if you're jumping around 4.70m then you've got a good chance.
"I think we've both got a chance of a medal in London, especially with the home crowd behind us.
"This year I've made some technical changes so I've had to take a step back and now I feel I'm at the point when I'm going to make two steps forward.
"If I wanted to carry on jumping 4.60m for the rest of my life I would have stayed the same but I want to be in with a chance of a medal so I had to make the changes."
Bright future
Bleasdale isn't carried away with all the expectations and although she admits a medal is possible as early as this year's worlds, the youngster insists the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is probably where she'll make her name.
"A medal is possible if I can get another 4.70m, which I feel like I can but it's a case of getting the right conditions," said Bleasdale, who is currently ranked joint fifth in the world rankings. "All the girls I compete against are getting up to 4.70m on a regular basis.
"Since I first started I've just kept on improving and I've done a lot more training this year so it's not a surprise to me that my heights keep going up.
"I'm just lucky to be even going to London really. A year ago I wasn't sure I'd be going so it's all about experience for me.
"People say I can get a medal but that's not my main aim, I'd just really want to make the final. I'm looking at the next Olympics in Rio as my best chance."
