High jump star Vlasic to miss out
Source: Agencies |
July 15, 2012, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER high jump world champion Blanka Vlasic will not compete in the London Olympics due to injury problems, the Croatian said on her website (www.blanka.vlasic.hr) yesterday.
The 28-year-old, who has the second best jump of all time with 2.08 meters and was one of the favorites to win the Olympic gold next month, had surgery on her ankle and heel this year.
"I've been postponing the decision about my participation in London ... but time is running out and time is the only thing that I need right now," Vlasic said.
Vlasic said her fitness was improving but not quickly enough to give her a chance of winning the gold medal in London.
"I will not be able to get into the top shape in time for Olympic Games," she said. "I'm not interested in jumping below my usual level, so it is the best thing to stay home and get the healing process to the end."
Vlasic has had a history of health problems, culminating in thyroid surgery which sidelined her for most of 2005.
She recovered to win gold at the 2007 world championships and she took silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Vlasic, world champion again in 2009, finished second at last year's world championships in South Korea.
Meanwhile, the boss of British security company G4S says he's sorry that his company bungled its contract to provide staff to help protect the Games.
Nick Buckles told the BBC that "we are deeply disappointed" that the company wasn't able to make good on its promises to provide 10,000 people to help keep the games staff.
Buckles says the company has 4,000 staff "ready to go," having been trained and vetted, and received uniforms and instructions about their job. He says a further 9,000 applicants were in the process of being deployed.
Some 3,500 British troops are being called in to help fill the gap in security at Olympic venues.
The 28-year-old, who has the second best jump of all time with 2.08 meters and was one of the favorites to win the Olympic gold next month, had surgery on her ankle and heel this year.
"I've been postponing the decision about my participation in London ... but time is running out and time is the only thing that I need right now," Vlasic said.
Vlasic said her fitness was improving but not quickly enough to give her a chance of winning the gold medal in London.
"I will not be able to get into the top shape in time for Olympic Games," she said. "I'm not interested in jumping below my usual level, so it is the best thing to stay home and get the healing process to the end."
Vlasic has had a history of health problems, culminating in thyroid surgery which sidelined her for most of 2005.
She recovered to win gold at the 2007 world championships and she took silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Vlasic, world champion again in 2009, finished second at last year's world championships in South Korea.
Meanwhile, the boss of British security company G4S says he's sorry that his company bungled its contract to provide staff to help protect the Games.
Nick Buckles told the BBC that "we are deeply disappointed" that the company wasn't able to make good on its promises to provide 10,000 people to help keep the games staff.
Buckles says the company has 4,000 staff "ready to go," having been trained and vetted, and received uniforms and instructions about their job. He says a further 9,000 applicants were in the process of being deployed.
Some 3,500 British troops are being called in to help fill the gap in security at Olympic venues.
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