Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz believes he is ready to come back stronger than ever after an elongated period on the sidelines.

With a host of young high jump talent emerging, with the likes of David Smith and Chris Kandu, Grabarz is Great Britain’s elder statesman in the sport.

The 27-year-old Newham & Essex Beagle enjoyed a stellar summer in 2012 which saw him crowned European champion ahead of taking bronze at the London Olympics.

But luck has been against him over the past 12 months and he missed out on the chance to defend his European crown and selection for the Commonwealth Games last year because of a long-standing knee injury.

Grabarz was set to return to action during the indoor season but once again missed out and so far only has two meets under his belt in 2015 – jumping 2.24m this weekend at the Bedford International Games.

But as he finalises his preparations for the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on June 7, Grabarz admits it is great to be on the brink of a return to action.

“I am loving being back from injury because it has been a long time, it’s been a year since I jumped competitively,” he said.

“But now I am jumping without any pain and that is an amazing feeling and one that I have waiting a long time for.

“So now I’m just looking forward to the summer season ahead and can’t wait to get it started.

“I jumped 2.37 in 2012 which is a shared British record and it would be really great to try and get back to that.”

With the Olympics in Rio on the horizon, Grabarz believes the legacy left behind from the London Games is still growing.

And he expects plenty of new talent to emerge in the coming years and believes events like the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix can be a crucial part of that.

“I think since London 2012 the sport has grown and high jump has grown as well and people in the men’s field are attempting the world record regularly,” he added.

“That is really exciting and women’s high jump in the UK has taken off as well and there are three girls breaking British record after British record.

“So it’s been fantastic to watch and I just can’t wait to get back and be a part of that growth.

“In Birmingham the summer series that is just about to kick off is always a great meet.

“I really love jumping there and it’s my home track as well now, it’s always been good and we’ve been lucky with the weather now so it’s a good one to come down to.”

Sainsbury’s is a proud partner of British Athletics. The partnership reflects Sainsbury’s wider commitment to inspiring healthy lifestyles for all, and complements grassroots campaigns such as Active Kids and the Sainsbury’s School Games. www.sainsburys.co.uk