31 July 2008

Hi

Four year cycle

Myself and my coach Steve Rippon work on a four year cycle, we have been preparing for the Olympics since 2004 when I moved to Loughborough. We sat down and spoke about the cycle and how he was going to increase things and change things throughout the seasons.

He told me where I had to be where I have to be at certain checkpoints whether they were big or small comps throughout the four years. Obviously we’ve had things which have gone well and a few things which have gone badly, I made the 2005 European Juniors, in 2006 I competed at the Commonwealth Games but then I got injured.  Then in 2007 I jumped PB’s, caught everything up again and made the World Championships but then I jumped badly there. Since then everything’s gone really well, I have hit 5.70m four times, had a few attempts at the British record and made the Olympic team so I’m on track if not abit ahead.

New Toys

The main thing im using at the moment help me is the downhill runway, it’s really helping me to focus on my technique. Because I can use my competition pole I can create enough velocity and that means I can get a feel for it and practise the timing of my swing and bar clearance which is the area that I’m weakest at. The downhill runway is our new toy at the HiPAC, it helps me to train at the same intensity as when I compete.

No fear

I’m pretty laid back and don’t use psychologists, I prefer to just sit down with Steve, I’ve got a good enough relationship with him to sit down and talk all that stuff out. But there is a different psychology to pole vaulting than a lot of other disciplines and sports, because you’ve got the fear factor, there’s an edge to it, if you get it wrong you can die.