Holly Bradshaw's hopes hit by 'brutal' sickness
Holly Bradshaw’s preparations for the World Championships in Budapest were hit by a severe bout of sickness which left the Olympic bronze medallist well below her best as she cleared only 4.35m in qualifying.
The British record-holder fell ill with food poisoning or a virus on the eve of the championships last Thursday. “It was very brutal and I was being sick for about 10 hours and it was very aggressive,” she said. “I never got my strength back from it.
“I felt awful out there and tried my best but you can’t compete with the best in the world when you feel like that.”
She added: “I’m not a sick person usually. It really whacked me.”
The 31-year-old suggests she may now take a break from athletics. “I finally got back to jumping well,” she said, struggling to hold back the tears, “but I don’t know how many blows and set-backs I can take. In the mindset I’m in right now, I just don’t know.”
She takes inspiration from the comeback success of team-mate Katarina Johnson-Thompson. “She’s a massive inspiration,” says Bradshaw.
But after the pole vault qualification on Monday (Aug 21) she was in no mood to fight back again. “I’ve just got deeply depressed from this,” she said. “I’ve been in a low before but I’ve not been in this sustained low where it’s two years of injury, freak accidents in the World Championships last year and now being ill. It’s all stuff that are out of my control but my mental health is really suffering right now.
“I’ve still got four more competitions and wanted to get the Olympic qualification but the way I feel right now I don’t want to compete.”
Bradshaw’s team-mate and training partner Molly Caudery made it through to the final, though, after clearing 4.65m.
The Loughborough-based Cornish athlete has hit great form this year despite having lots of her winter training compromised by surgery on her foot.
Molly Caudery delighted to make the world pole vault final with 4.65m after spending most of last winter recovering from surgery to her foot.
🎙️ @Jason_AW pic.twitter.com/HM2MqBkmIG
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 21, 2023
“I’m so happy and so tired,” she said, “as 4.65m is my second highest jump ever.”
On Bradshaw, she said: “I’ve been training with Holly for the last three years and she’s always someone I've looked up to. Today is not her day but I'm sure she’ll be back stronger.”
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