BBC SPORT | Athletics | Whitlock a pole apart

Janine Whitlock has been Britain's leading pole-vaulter since 1996 when she set the first of her 37 national records by becoming the first British woman to clear four metres.

Whitlock reportedly fails drugs test

The Dewsbury-born athlete set her last record at June's Commonwealth Games trials in Manchester when she cleared 4.41m.

But despite her domestic dominance (Saturday's victory in Birmingham was her sixth successive national title), Whitlock has been unable to make an impact on the world scene.

Whitlock, 28, finished ninth at last year's World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, but did not qualify for the final round of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Whitlock changed coaches at the turn of this year and linked up with former British champion Brian Hooper and spent the winter training with him in South Africa.

Janine Whitlock in action during a 60m indoor sprint
Whitlock used to compete in the heptathlon

The Trafford AC athlete made her international debut at the World Indoor Championships in 1997 when she failed to qualify for the final.

Later that year she finished third in the European Cup.

She twice just missed out on medals in 1998 with fourth places at the European Indoors and Commonwealth Games.

In 1999 she finished equal 12th at the World Indoors while the following year there was her Olympic disappointment.

She had finished fifth at the European Indoor Championships only to then suffer a niggling knee problem.

Whitlock failed to qualify for the finals of the European Indoors this year and was disappointed with her early form outdoors but put that down to the rigours of moving to London from Manchester.

An all-round athlete, Whitlock, who says her inspiration is Jamaica sprinter Merlene Ottey, used to compete in the heptathlon before specialising in the pole vault.


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