Olympic pole vault bronze medallist goes out of World Champs but GB team-mate Molly Caudery makes final with 4.65m

Holly Bradshaws 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 cant compete with the best in the world when you feel like that.

She added: Im 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 dont know how many blows and set-backs I can take. In the mindset Im in right now, I just dont know.

She takes inspiration from the comeback success of team-mate Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Shes a massive inspiration, says Bradshaw.

But after the pole vault qualification on Monday (Aug 21) she was in no mood to fight back again. Ive just got deeply depressed from this, she said. Ive been in a low before but Ive not been in this sustained low where its two years of injury, freak accidents in the World Championships last year and now being ill. Its all stuff that are out of my control but my mental health is really suffering right now.

Ive still got four more competitions and wanted get the Olympic qualification but the way I feel right now I dont want to compete.

Bradshaws 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

Im so happy and so tired, she said, as 4.65m is my second highest jump ever.

On Bradshaw, she said: Ive been training with Holly for the last three years and shes always someone Ive looked up to. Today is not her day but Im sure shell be back stronger.