High jumper Bernard looks to rediscover the heights

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat

HIGH jumper Martyn Bernard insists it was his decision to up sticks and relocate to London but believes his move down south will pay dividends in 2010.

AIMING HIGH: After a season of injury worries, a relocated Martyn Bernard is looking forward to 2010 (Getty Images)

Earlier this month it was reported that Bernard, who only competed twice outdoors in 2009 due to an ankle injury, was cajoled into swapping Liverpool for London by UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.

The Dutchman, who will celebrate his first anniversary at the helm of British athletics next month, has a reputation for taking no prisoners and allegedly threatened to cut 25-year-old Bernard's National Lottery funding should he stay on Merseyside.

Van Commenee, in his pursuit of perfection, has not been afraid to ruffle a few feathers in the British ranks and while his methods may be  no-nonsense, a better-than-expected medal haul of six at last year's World Championships, suggests they are proving fruitful.

Bernard has been identified by van Commenee as a potential medal winner at London 2012, a key motivating factor in his supposed ultimatum, but the Commonwealth Games silver medallist remains adamant it was his choice to move to Lee Valley Centre in November.

"I think Charles misconveyed the situation a little bit with me moving down to London," said Bernard. 

"It wasn't really that I decided not to move, I was just considering all my options before I decided. 

"As far as I know I don't think I was ever actually taken off funding but now I have made the move, I'm very glad I have.

"Last year was really disrupted by my ankle injury and I only competed outdoors twice, so another factor I needed to consider was what the rehab facilities were like where I was based.

"Charles is quite stern and he likes to have things his way.  Hopefully, now I'm in London it will work out well for me."

Such was the length of Bernard's spell on the sidelines last year that the 2007 national champion has opted against competing indoors this season, ruling out a trip to the World Indoor Championships in March.

But with the European Championships in Barcelona on the horizon in July, he believes there are plenty of reasons for optimism this season.

"The facilities down at Lee Valley are great and I am feeling really good about 2010," he added. 

"I won't be competing in the indoor season this year because my new coach [Dan Pfaff] and I didn't think that I would be ready because of the injury.

"I still get a bit of swelling sometimes but it is not too bad. My coach just wants me to do some sprinting and running instead.

"He likes to make sure athletes are nice and explosive, so I'll probably just do a couple of sprint races but not do anything indoors.

"But in terms of my recovery everything is going well and I am confident I will be in good shape for the European Championships."

* Martyn Bernard is a member of the Aviva GB & NI Team and is warm weather training at a National Lottery funded camp in South Africa. Find out more at aviva.co.uk/athletics