Former British record holder Kate Dennison retiring

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Athletics: Pole vault star Dennison retires
Thursday, October 11, 2012The SentinelFollow
KATE Dennison admits she could not face another four years chasing the fairytale after retiring from pole vault yesterday.

Dennison became the first ever female track and field athlete from South Cheshire and North Staffordshire to perform at two Olympics when she strode out at London in August.

However, the 28-year-old, from Alsager, struggled in swirling wind and rain, breaking her wrist as she landed heavily following a failed attempt at 4.40m.

"I would have loved to have won a medal, but I ended up asking people to sign my cast," she said.

"I kept my options open about my future after then, but at the back of my mind I thought this might be the right time to have a change.

"I felt in the shape of my life this summer and in the perfect world I could have had a fairytale ending. It didn't work out like that and I wasn't willing to carry on for another four years searching for that.

"Athletics is all I've known throughout my adult life. It's been my world through university and beyond and now it's time to move on.

"More opportunities are opening up for me. It's not something I'm happy to say goodbye to, but I am looking forward to my future."

Dennison, who is to become a physical trainer and sports masseuse, switched from gymnastics to pole vault at the age of 16 and was UK number one as a 21-year-old.

She held on to that title for five years, only being succeeded by world record chaser Holly Bleasdale in 2011.

In the meantime, highlights included coming seventh at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and taking home a bronze medal from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

She said: "It's been fun from the start. Coming seventh at the World Junior Championships in Jamaica in 2002 with a new British junior record (4.00m) was amazing.

"The 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne was when I realised I could be a professional athlete and to be involved in European and World Championships has been incredible.

"Beijing was a dream come true and then 2009 was fantastic when I broke the British record (4.60m)."

But nothing could have prepared her for a home Olympics however, injury or not.

She explained: "London and Beijing could hardly have been more different.

"The whole two weeks was unbelievable and I will never forget the feeling from being in front of a full home crowd like that which sent a tingle down my spine.

"Then my cast meant I met more people around the village who wanted to know what had happened."

Dennison bows out with a personal best 4.61m she achieved in Barcelona in July 2011 only ever being bettered once by a British woman, Bleasdale (4.87m).

She said: "Holly will probably be disappointed herself she didn't get a medal at London but you learn from the lows as well as the highs.

"She's already jumped massive heights and is going to be a big star."

And Dennison hoped to see her old City of Stoke gymastics and athletics clubs buddy Steve Lewis will continue to shine among the world's best pole vaulters after he came fifth at London.

She said: "Steve has always had the physique and the technique and now something seems to have clicked mentally too, he has had a phenomenal year.

"He and Holly are training together under Dan Pfaff and hopefully they can inspire each other to even better things over the next few years. I will be a very interested observer."

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http://www.athleticsweekly.com/news/den ... etirement/

Dennison announces retirement
Former UK pole vault record-holder Kate Dennison ends her career
Posted on October 10, 2012 by Athletics Weekly



British pole vaulter Kate Dennison today announced that she will retire from athletics at the end of a frustrating year in which her Olympic dreams came to an end when sustaining an injury in the qualifying round at London 2012.

Dennison showed promise as a junior, setting a national under-20 record at the 2002 World Junior Championships. Six years later she made her Olympic debut in Beijing, and in 2009 she enjoyed the best season of her career, setting a total of nine national records – three indoors, six outdoors – and finishing sixth at the World Championships in Berlin.

She set her personal best of 4.61m in 2011, but by that time rising star Holly Bleasdale had already upped the national record to 4.70m.

The news of Dennison’s retirement comes on the same day that Bleasdale has confirmed her coaching switch to Dan Pfaff. The move will see Bleasdale split her time between the USA and Wales. During her time in the UK, Bleasdale will be coached by Scott Simpson – the man who guided Dennison for the past two years.

It also comes just a week before UK Athletics reveals their list of funded athletes for the 2013 season. With many of the decisions being based on progression and championships performances, Dennison may have been facing a cut from funding.

“I am extremely proud of my achievements and have had an amazing time involved in a sport that I love,” said the 28-year-old in a statement on her website.
“From breaking British records on both a junior and senior level, finishing sixth at the World Championships and European Championships to a Commonwealth bronze medal and becoming a double Olympian – which of course meant representing Team GB at a home Olympics. It has been a fantastic journey!

“I know I could not have achieved any of this without the help of my coach Steve Rippon, who coached me from 4.00m to 4.60m and also Scott Simpson who coached me for the last two years of my career. My physio, Rone Thompson, has held me together through injuries and helped me prevent many more.

“UK lottery funding and UK athletics have supported me for many many years and my sponsors, Nike and Maximuscle,” she added. “Finally, my family and friends who have supported me through all the highs and lows.”