Steve Lewis Convinced His Progress Will Deliver Olympic Glory

Although Team GB reached the medal target set by UK Athletics chief Charles van Commenee at the World Championships in South Korea, there were clear signs that Britain’s athletes could have exceeded the seven that were collected.

Instead of viewing the missed opportunities as a kind of failure, the signs were encouraging with less than a year to go before the Olympic Games.

The athletes will know where they stand among the world’s best and be aware of how and where to improve and ensure they make the best possible account of themselves next summer.

This could not be more true than for Britain’s number one pole vaulter Steve Lewis. His ninth place finish in Daegu was encouraging; particularly given the year he has endured with injuries, a broken hand which was followed by a knee problem.

And while Lewis admitted he took a lot of positives from his performance in South Korea – including a season’s best jump - he revealed his disappointment at failing to place when he felt in such good nick.

“I definitely thought I was in good shape going in to the final and I knew I could jump a season’s best, which I did,” the 25-year-old reflected.

“But I felt I was in Personal Best (PB) shape and I think the way I went out was really gutting.

”I was positive throughout the competition; moving through my poles really well and I ended up jumping better than I thought,” he added.

“To be as bold as I was in the final was encouraging but at the same time I left empty-handed with only jumping 5.65 when I probably felt I could’ve been jumping PBs.”

Lewis is certainly not dwelling on the minor negatives from Daegu, far from it, in fact. He is fully aware of the work that needs to go in to achieve his Olympic dream and despite enjoying a short break (I caught up with him while he was relaxing in the French Alps), he is eager to return to work.

“I have to be confident going into the Olympics, particularly after the World Championships where a medal was just one height away,” Lewis explained.

“Now that everything is working right - preparation, training, work – I can see how I’ve come on over the last 18 months.

“I’ve figured a lot of things out in the last couple of years and that was evident at the World Championships.

“Mentally, I’ve come away from Daegu in a really good position having jumped a season’s best in the final. I’m in a good place and I’m really excited about getting back to training.”

With the World Championships resigned to history, focus is firmly fixed on London 2012 and Lewis has taken the decision, with his coach’s advice, to limit his involvement in competitive events going into next summer.

“I haven’t really put myself in too many competitions leading up to London,” he revealed.

“Everything will be focused on gaining Olympic qualification by staying healthy and keeping in shape.”

“The Olympics is always the major priority and everything between now and then will be geared towards performing well at the Games.”

Lewis must guarantee his place first but his slot appears all but assured. He needs to jump two A standards to confirm his participation at 2012 but he is aiming to win the National Championships as the perfect preparation.

And once he has confirmed his place in Team GB’s Olympic squad, what will the 2010 Commonwealth silver medalist consider as a success?

“Gold is what I am aiming for,” he responded frankly. “I want to go to London and win it and that is what I am going to keep focused on.

“This year I probably haven’t jumped as high as I should’ve jumped but I will carry over the confidence of my overall progression and a medal in London is a very real possibility.

“In the pole vault anything can happen,” he pointed out. “If I’m jumping 5.80 then who knows? Anything can happen when you consider all the variables that affect this event.”

Should he make the slight yet necessary improvements in the next year, and in a sport where centimetres can be the difference between success and failure, Lewis will be hopeful that London 2012 has come at the perfect time.

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