Posted: July 15, 2005

Athletics: Bergqvist Pleased With Consistent Comeback

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

© 2005 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

After her win at the Zagreb Grand Prix on Monday night, her fifth in as many competitions this season, high jumper Kajsa Bergqvist was pleased.

“I think I did a good competition,” the 28-year-old Swede said after her fourth two-meter effort of the year. “Two meters with no misses is good. I got a bit angry when I missed 2.02 though. I felt that I should have made that today.”

That “anger” was framed with a smile though, since Bergqvist’s 2005 season was still very much up in the air just a few months ago.

“I’ve been injured for a very long time so I’m just happy that I’m able to compete. In the springtime, I didn’t think it would be possible to jump this summer.”

Last July, the two-time world indoor champion ruptured her Achilles tendon on just her second jump of the season, an injury requiring immediate surgery, and knocking the then-defending Olympic bronze medallist out of the Athens picture. Six full months of rehab followed before she could even take a single jump. The injury was in her left leg –she jumps off of her right—and is primarily affecting her final approach steps, she said.

“I’ve been struggling a lot with the injury the past year, but the Achilles feels good now. I don’t feel any problems. It’s a little bit frustrating in competition that it’s not responding as quickly. I don’t have the same speed in the foot yet, but I hope that’s going to come yet.”

Despite the lack of “bounce” in her step, Bergqvist said she’s pleased with her comeback thus far, with jumps ranging from 1.99 to 2.01, the latter a world-leading effort.

“It’s been very consistent. It’s been the same almost every competition, which is good. But sometimes you wish that you could have some really high jumps as well.”

Thus far this season, she hasn’t needed those higher jumps. Besides Olympic champion Yelena Slesarenko’s two-meter clearance at this week’s Russian national championships, no other jumper besides the Swede has reached the two-meter plateau, a fact she finds astonishing.

“Yeah, I’m very surprised. Last year was a tremendous high jump year, with 2.06, 2.04 and 2.03. There were so many over two meters. Way above two meters. And this year I have five [of the six] highest jumps in the world. It’s surprises me.”

Bergqvist, the reigning European champion, doesn’t think she’s ready to challenge her 2.06 personal best that dates back to 2003, set about a month before she leaped to her second world outdoor bronze medal, but doesn’t think her 2.01 from last month’s European Cup First League competition is her limit for the year either.

“Oh yeah, I think I can still go higher. We’ll see.”

Bergqvist will compete at the Madrid Super Grand Prix tomorrow night (16-July) and Stockholm’s DN Galan Super Grand Prix on 26-July before next month’s world championships.

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