Australian high-jumper Eleanor Patterson taking on the world in her own unique way

SHE is the Olympic athlete like no other. A woman destined to be a big deal in Rio but one who will be getting there on her own terms.

Athletics Day 9

SHE is Australia’s reluctant athletics star.

High-jumper Eleanor Patterson will be a big deal in Rio next year but she will be getting there on her own terms.

There is an element of mystique around the 19-year-old from Leongatha in country Victoria who prefers to be left alone to her own devices.

In a sport where most athletes are crying out for more funding, Patterson continues to resist accepting the full financial assistance that is available to her from Athletics Australia.

And given her victory at the Commonwealth Games last year, that is not small change with elite athletes in the Australian system able to get between $20,000-$30,000 on the back of such results.

LONG JUMP: Aussie Lapierre leaps to silver medal

DISCUS: Dani Samuels fails to fire in final

Eleanor Patterson is set to make waves in Rio. Picture: Peter Wallis

She also entitled to state institute support with the VIS alongwith the cash component but has turned down both.

Patterson and her long-time coach David Green like to operate without interference from outside parties, hence their reluctance at this stage to embrace the national body fully.

Athletics Australia are working hard behind the scenes to support the rising star and welcomed Green and Patterson to the team camp in Japan prior to the world championships.

The teenager is very much the shy country girl which certainly plays a part in the current situation.

She genuinely hasn’t liked the limelight which has shone brightly on her over the past two years and again declined interview requests ahead of her qualification round tomorrow in Beijing.

The corporate world sees her potential and she has become hot property, recently signing with Dave Scott, an international sports agent for Stellar Athletics based in the UK.

Patterson was chased by Adidas in Australia but it’s believed she is set to sign with Nike given Scott previously worked for the footwear giant where he managed distance star Mo Farrah.

Eleanor Patterson after winning gold in Glasgow. Picture: Adam Head

Her rise to prominence started when she won the 2013 world youth championships and then later that year set a new personal best of 1.96m, a height which remains better than any junior woman in the world has ever jumped.

Stunningly, she doesn’t have an athletics track in her hometown and trains on the local football ground where her coach throws down some mats and away she goes.

What has impressed seasoned track and field observers is her temperament in competition, as was evidenced in Glasgow last year.

The Commonwealth Games was her first senior outing — she was still in Year 12 at high school — and she handled the pressure with ease, clearing 1.94m to claim gold.

That’s why Australian head coach Craig Hilliard believes she is a star of the future.

“She’s an amazing athlete,” Hilliard said.

“She doesn’t get fazed by much and you saw what she did at Commonwealth Games, the first big championship for her and she handled it with aplomb.

“She’s quite a relaxed athlete but she’s quite confident of herself. Obviously this is a different stage for her but at the end of the day she is jumping well.

“She jumped 1.94 in Australia before she left. As I said, she is a talented athlete but again whatever she does here it’s going to be the start of her athletic journey, so it will be a fantastic experience whatever she does.”

He expects Patterson can make the final which hasn’t been done by an Australian at a world championships in 24 years.

“The women’s high jump is an event where at the top end they’re not going crazy,” he said.

“There’s a chunk of them around [1.98m] 98, 99, there’s a bunch of them sitting on 94, 95.

“So if she just steps up to the plate and does her thing there’s no reason why she couldn’t [make the final].”

Originally published as Australian high-jumper Eleanor Patterson taking on the world in her own unique way