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| Triple jumper Svetlana Bolshakova of Belgium. |
Belgium's 2010 European Athletics Championships triple jump bronze medallist Svetlana Bolshakova wondered many times over the last year whether she would be able to make it to Helsinki this summer, after rupturing an Achilles tendon while competing in Rabat, Morocco, last June.
However, after missing the rest of last summer including the World Championships, she returned to action at a local meeting in Lokeren on Monday and surprised herself by bounding out to 14.28m.
It was the best ever start to the outdoor season for 27-year-old jumper and secured her ticket to the 2012 European Athletics Championships, which will be held in the Finnish capital from 27 June – 1 July.
'After a long period of inactivity, I had to start from scratch. Here, (in Lokeren) I jumped with a full run up for the very first time. Even in training, that was not yet the case,' she told local media.
'I had a lot of stress and strain last year but here I have proven that I'm back. This certainly with the support of my coach and husband (high jumper Stijn Stroobants).'
'Svetlana achieved half a miracle. This meeting seemed to us a bit like the first day of school. We've worked very hard for a year to make this come back and now it's finally here, but all her hard work was rewarded,' added her coach Michel Boels.
'This result is very important to us for confidence, now all doubts are gone. We will now work even harder. The qualification mark for the Olympic Games in London (14.40m) is certainly not very far any more,' he added.
Bolshakova holds the Belgian triple jump record with 14.55m, which she achieved in the Barcelona 2010 final.