Holly Bradshaw’s World Athletics Championships came to an end in cruel, and premature, fashion.
The British pole vaulter was targeting a strong display in Eugene, after winning bronze at last year’s Olympics, but she has been forced to pull out after suffering a freak injury in practice.
Bradshaw’s pole snapped as she made a jump in practice, leading her to fall awkwardly on her neck and also hurt her back and arm. With a busy summer ahead, the Commonwealth Games and European Championships following in the space of a few weeks, the 30-year has withdrawn to prevent any further injury.
It means her wait for a first World Championships medal goes on, though she hopes to quickly put this setback behind her with such a hectic schedule to come.
Bradshaw said: “I was absolutely gutted, I was heartbroken, I was crying in the box, sobbing. It was a massive, massive shock. I’ve felt really good for the three weeks coming into this.
“It’s the first time it’s ever happened in my career, so it’s a great time for it to happen. I hope it never happens again.
“It’s just really, really, really unfortunate timing but I’ve come back from worse. I’ve still got the Commies and the Euros. I’ve had a preliminary medical exam and it’s nothing too serious.
“I’m going to get more checks tomorrow and hope it’s nothing bad and I come back for Commies and Euros. It feels out of my control. This year has been a challenge and it’s just another thing for me to negotiate past.
“There was no way I could know that was going to happen. It’s such a freak accident. It’s just one of those things that absolutely sucks
“It’s been a rocky season and a lot of things haven’t gone my way but the last three weeks have been great. I thought I could have done 4.50/60 today clean in qualification and then challenge for medals in the final.
“I am that point in my career now where if I am not battling for medals, I can’t put myself in that position and I am not going to take any risks. That is the decision I made.”
