ALL triathlete Vicky Holland wants in the new year is an injury-free season.

The Olympic hopeful from Gloucester had a tremendous 2010 – finishing eighth in triathlon's gold-standard ITU World Championship Series.

And that gave her understandable hope of early selection for London 2012.

However Holland's 2011 campaign was plagued by injury and illness, providing less than ideal preparation ahead of Olympic year and meaning she has not yet booked her place on the team.

Holland, who went to Redmarley Primary School and then Newent Community School, said: "2010 was my first real year at senior level and everything went right.

"I had a consistent winter, no injury problems, no illnesses and was very consistent and really enjoyed myself.

"And I was in really good shape in the early part of 2011.

"I was really pleased with how my form was coming along, but then at the end of March we upped training slightly too much and I picked up a stomach upset which wouldn't clear.

"In the first race of the World Championship Series in Sydney I hadn't run for a few weeks and finished in 12th place, but then I had four or five weeks of restricted training where I couldn't do a lot.

"After I'd recovered I started running again at the same level I'd been doing before my illness – which led to an almost instant problem with my knees which didn't clear up for about two to three months.

"It's been little things all year long which have set me back. I had a repeat of the stomach upset later on in the year but managed to sort it out quickly.

"Then at the end of the season I had a nasty problem with my kidneys which carried over the last two World Series races."

Despite the catalogue of ailments which affected her performances during 2011, Holland is surprisingly upbeat, believing that the worst is behind her.

And she hopes to use the knowledge of testing times as a spur towards her Olympic dream.

"While the year was a bit turbulent, in a way it's good as I've had everything that could be thrown at me," Holland said.

"It's not been fantastic but it's good to have it this year so I can be ready for anything in Olympic year.

"I've had a lesson in the sport as I've had very few injuries before, the last one was six years ago.

"This year has definitely been a bit of a slog but I'm glad to have got through."

The 25-year-old remains bullish about her chances of selection, assuming she is able to keep herself fit and well.

And the draw of participating at a home Olympics is Holland's driving motivation.

"I've missed out on pre-selection with the way things panned out this year, but it has given me a lot more fire," Holland said.

"I'm heading into 2012 with fire in my belly and with the belief that if I stay healthy and injury free then I can make the team and be part of a home Olympics. Hopefully, I'll have a solid four months of training and then come out flying and force the selectors to pick me.

"Going to an Olympic Games itself is once in a lifetime, let alone an Olympics in your home country when you are in peak shape.

"I'm absolutely motivated to be involved with Team 2012, and I need to come out with a bang in the first few races of the year to ensure I get chosen."

■ Team 2012, presented by Visa, has launched a limited-edition run of exclusive trainers in partnership with Adidas to support British athletes training for London 2012. Details at www.team-2012.com, with one buyer winning tickets to the men's 100m Finals.