Jin says Olympics come first - for now

Veteran high jumper Jin Ling is hoping for the mother of all Olympics.

The 32-year-old Asian record-holder is training flat-out for next year's Sydney Games - while four-year-old daughter Ding Qianyue waits patiently at home.

'I feel I owe her a lot because I can't give her as much time as an ordinary mother does to her children. It's just unfair on her,' admitted the mainland star. 'But she understands me very well, although she is so young. That's touched me deeply. I hope I can give her more time after I retire, probably after Sydney.' Beijing-based Jin is forced to leave Qianyue with a child minder during the week while she trains at the national athletics centre under the coaching of her husband, Ding Qun.

The agony of spending so much time away from her daughter really hit home following last December's Asian Games in Bangkok, where she captured the silver medal.

Jin returned to Beijing and was shocked to discover Qingyue was suffering from pneumonia.

'I rang home when I was in Bangkok but my family didn't tell me Qingyue was sick. She recovered when I was back but I felt really sorry for that,' said Jin after winning the high jump at the Watson's Athletic King Championships at Wan Chai Sports Ground. Jin's best effort yesterday was just 1.75 metres - 22 centimetres below her personal best, set a decade ago.

But she still believes she can make it to Sydney, 12 years after her only Olympic Games appearance.

'I believe I would be in the top eight if I jumped 1.96m and I've done that twice since Qingyue was born,' she said.

Those two occasions were the 1996 National Grand Prix Championships and the 1997 National Games.

Jin finished 13th at the 1988 Games in Seoul but missed the next two Olympiads - first due to a back operation and then when she gave birth to her daughter.

Her attempts to return to the peak of her sport have been hampered in recent years by a niggling back injury.

'It always happens to top athletes, so I have to live with it. I'm receiving treatment and hopefully it will get better,' Jin said.