Vlasic doubtful for the Games

Road to London

Blanka Vlasic, one of the world’s best high jumpers, may miss the London Olympics because of health problems, the Croatian said on Tuesday.

The 28-year old Vlasic, who holds the second best jump of all time with 2.08 metres, has had surgery on her left ankle and heel this year, but the recovery was complicated by a prolonged bacterial infection.

“This whole season, particularly London, is in question. I will make my decision a day before the Olympics,” Vlasic told reporters in her native city of Split on the Adriatic coast.

Vlasic’s 2.08 is only behind Stefka Kostadinova’s world record of 2.09 metres set at the Rome World Championships in 1987.

Vlasic has had a history of health problems, culminating in thyroid surgery which sidelined her for most of 2005 season.

She recovered to win gold at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka and she took silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, in what was an upset result, with Tia Hellebaut of Belgium winning the gold.

Vlasic, world champion again in 2009, finished second at last year’s world championships in South Korea after struggling with a knee injury and poor form for most of the season.

“I don’t want to go to London and jump 1.90 or 1.95. Everyone knows what I want in London. I don’t want to be fearing whether I’ll make it to the finals or not. That would be devastating,” Vlasic said.