WORCESTER high jumper Joel Khan will tackle his first competitive leap in a year in Birmingham on Saturday after missing the 2018 world junior championships due to a serious knee injury, writes Eleanor Prince.

Khan, whose personal best stands at 2.20 metres, ruptured his patella last March while attempting to beat his current record and jump 2.23m.

The 19-year-old Worcester Sixth Form College student and former junior national champion has since suffered a gruelling year of rehabilitation which included undergoing surgery for the first time in his career.

Khan said: “I thought I had broken my leg. It didn’t hurt because of the adrenaline but I heard a pop and a crack and felt my knee go.

"I remember my mum in the crowd and I was looking at her in pure fear.”

Former Tudor Grange Academy pupil Khan will take part in an open meeting this weekend under competition rules and wants to see where he is at in his progression.

The Worcester Athletic Club ace added: “We can’t really see how far I’ve come yet because I’ve jumped in training but when I’m competing I have an extra gear that I go into so this shows me where I need to be and it will shape my training programme over the next few weeks and months.

“This injury has taught me so much. Every year I grow so much as an athlete and I’ve come to the stage now where I’m confident with how I’m going to do things and how much I’m not going to take anything for granted.”

Khan jumped for Great Britain at the European Youth Championships in 2016 and the European Junior Championships in 2017.

People can follow him through his Facebook page at Joel Clarke Khan-High Jumper.