Fast-improving Alana Boyd knows all about the lows that can plague a pole vaulter.

Boyd has been there and come out the other side so successfully she is now considered a genuine medal hope at the London Olympics.

And she’s backing her training partner and friend Steve Hooker to do the same thing in time to defend his Olympic crown in London.

Hooker is a notable absentee from the Olympic track and field trials in Melbourne.

The world and Olympic gold medallist is skipping the domestic season and won’t jump again in competition until he has overcome the yips which first became apparent when he failed to register a single clearance at last year’s world titles.

“Steve has been training really, really well the last couple of weeks and he had a session the other day where he did a personal best off a two-step approach,” 27-year-old Boyd said on Friday.

“He’s certainly back into great shape. He is in great shape physically, and mentally he’s getting better and better each day and more confident.

“That’s what it’s all about, getting that confidence back.

“He’s a great competitor and a really, really tough athlete so you’d never discount him.

“I think he’ll certainly be back and ready to defend his title in London.”

Having smashed the Australian record with a clearance of 4.76m in Perth last weekend, Boyd will be one of the star attractions at the trials at the new Lakeside Stadium.

Since moving to Perth two and half years ago to train alongside Hooker under master coach Alex Parnov, she has added 20cm to her personal best to shoot into Olympic medal contention.

But it hasn’t all been smooth progress.

“There was a point where I had a lot of injuries and I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Boyd said.

“The issues Steve has had in the last few months I was having, in terms of running through and having no confidence.

“That does take a big toll on your jumping if you’re not confident, to try and get off the ground is just ridiculous.

“There certainly were points where I was considering that this wasn’t for me any more.

“But I persevered.

“I love the sport and I learnt to love it again and learnt to enjoy going to every training session and enjoy training and getting better and better and it’s paid off.”

So much so that Boyd now sees herself as a genuine medal hope in a discipline long dominated by the great Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, who herself has overcome a couple of difficult years.