After winning the British indoor title in Birmingham, the 26-year-old credits his fiancee Molly Codery with helping to keep him in the sport.
Just three years ago, Joel Clark-Khan seemed to have the world at his feet. He equaled his PB of 2.27m at the London Diamond League and was looking forward to competing in his first Olympics in Paris next year.
But the disappointment of missing out on the Paris Games led to her almost quitting the sport. In fact, if it weren’t for the encouragement of his fiancee, pole vaulter Molly Codery, he says he might just have given up.
After a break from competition in 2025, largely due to injury, he returned this month to win the UK indoor title. Her mark of 2.19m brought gold, although her best this season is 2.22m and she hopes to return to 2.27m form, or better, this summer.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” he says. “I know I’m in good shape, but I was nervous to be here and to come back, I was trying to make every jump a little bit better and when it came together, it did with the jump that won me the gold medal.
“So process-wise, I’m happy with my flexibility and ability to build throughout. It wasn’t perfect, but we got the job done.”
Clarke-Khan competed in all three major championships in 2022 – the World Championships in Eugene, the Europeans in Munich and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, finishing fifth in the latter.
But he says he lost his love for the high jump in 2024 and even briefly retired from the long jump before breaking a bone in his leg in the long jump, an incident that in part led to his return to the high jump.
“After missing out in Paris, I wasn’t right mentally,” explains the 26-year-old. “There was no love between the high jumper and me. But I wanted to continue training, so I actually started training for the long jump in 2025 and doing similar training to the high jump, but focusing more on speed.
“I actually broke my leg in the long jump in May, and after that I thought, if I’m going to continue, let’s fix it. In August I got a screw in it and moved to my old high jump coach (Deirdre Elmhurst) and it’s been so smooth going back. I didn’t even think that I would win this title.”
He adds: “I tore my patella tendon in 2018, so I’ve had my fair share of injuries. Molly has also had a few injuries, but we are in a family where we are both athletes, support each other and keep the faith alive.
“I’m happy that I didn’t give up. Finally, for the first time in years, I feel like I’ve seen light at the end of the tunnel and I can go on and be better than I ever thought I could be.”
Has it been difficult to watch from the sidelines as Koderi, the 2024 World Indoor Champion, consistently runs at the highest level?
“In 2025, it was easier to follow him around the circuit because I was out of the sport myself,” he says. “But in 2024 it was difficult because I was trying to do it myself while he was beating the British record. But we’re all on different paths and he’s been so supportive and I feel like if I hadn’t been with him, I might have quit the sport.”
Clarke-Khan is also back with her old trainer, Deirdre Elmhurst, who goes to train with her several times a week at her base in Loughborough.
“I think we just clicked,” he added. “Everything we knew about each other before, the chemistry, it just works well.
“Everything is a bonus at the moment and I’m very grateful,” she says. “I love my lifestyle, my routine and the people around me. Hopefully I can continue to build and get back into teams, that’s my ultimate goal.
“If I can get that call-up to be in the team, I don’t care where or when, it will mean so much to me to wear that jersey again. It’s been so long. I really want it and I believe I can do it.”
