Ryan raising the bar as London looms

High jumper Deirdre Ryan has been a regular at major championships ever since competing in the World Youths in 1999.

The European Indoors followed three years later and when she came back from an injury-plagued year in 2005 to reach the final at the European Outdoors the following season, she seemed destined for big things.

Consistency was a problem though and 2007 was poor. And yet, it was taking part in a small meeting in Leverkusen that year that has brought her to where she is now, a genuine Olympic contender.