High jump star Eleanor Patterson ramps up Rio preparation in London

RISING high jump star Eleanor Patterson is trading the tranquillity of country Victoria for the bright lights of London as she ramps up her Olympic campaign.

Eleanor Patterson will move to London as the high jumper ramps up her Rio preparation.

RISING high jump star Eleanor Patterson is trading the tranquillity of country Victoria for the bright lights of London as she ramps up her Olympic campaign.

The 20-year-old will make her Diamond League debut on July 22 in a move designed to prepare her for the cauldron of the Olympic stage.

Patterson has preferred to stay and train on the grass ovals at her hometown of Leongatha rather than compete against the world’s best on the European circuit.

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It’s a formula that has worked in the past with Patterson winning the Commonwealth title on her first senior team in Glasgow two years ago.

She then made the final of the world championships in Beijing last year after preparing exclusively in Australia.

Eleanor Patterson will move to London as the high jumper ramps up her Rio preparation.

But Patterson and her long-time coach, David Green, were advised that a short European stint on the way to the Australian team camp in Florida would be the ideal preparation.

“I think getting overseas and being dropped in it will be great for her,” Australian head coach Craig Hilliard said.

“She needs to be immersed in that level and the thing about her is she’s usually a big-time performer, she’s proven that in the past.”

There is a growing confidence about Patterson’s chances given there is no standout competitor in the event combined with the exclusion of Russia who are historically strong in women’s high jump.

Three Russians were in the 2012 Olympic final with Anna Chicherova claiming the gold medal (2.05m) and Svetlana Shkolina getting bronze (2.00m).

American Chaunte Lowe has the world lead after clearing 2.01m at the US Olympic trials last week with Poland’s Kamila Licwinko next on 1.99m.

Patterson’s personal best is 1.96m — which she set as a 17-year-old in Townsville.

“The thing with women’s high jump this year, if you go through and look at all the results, they’re not great and then there is the Russians not being there,” Hilliard said.

“That event has come down in terms of who is doing what around the world at the moment, not so much the men’s, but definitely in the women’s.

“A lot of the competitions are being won with low to mid 90s so then all of a sudden the door opens.

Eleanor Patterson at a training session. Picture: Swisse

“And if the door is open, then she just has to step through it.”

Patterson knows she is one of Australia’s best medal chances but is determined not to be overawed by the occasion.

“(A medal win) would be amazing that’s for sure but I’ll go there focusing on doing the best I can do and improving on what I can do,” she said.

“Whatever comes with that, I’m happy with.

”All I want to do is improve. I look at the hard work Dave and I put in and you’ve got to have faith in yourself so any height that’s on, I’ll give it a crack that’s for sure.”

Originally published as High jump star Eleanor Patterson ramps up Rio preparation in London