Athletics: Vlasic admits to 'big pressure'

PARIS: Reigning double world champion Blanka Vlasic has admitted that heading into this year's World Athletics Championships as favourite to win a third gold in the women's high jump was a "big pressure". The Croat claimed the world titles in both 2009 and 2007 in Berlin and Osaka, those victories sandwiching a silver at the Beijing Games, and also heralding two world indoor triumphs. And she will go into the August 27- September 4 worlds in Daegu, South Korea, as one of the world's leading athletes. "It's much harder that people think that I'm the favourite than when you're not favourite," acknowledged Vlasic.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2011.