Great Britain long jumper Jade Johnson is a "big talent" according to former Olympic, world and European champion Heike Drechsler.
Commonwealth and European silver medallist Johnson has been forced to miss the entire outdoor season in 2005 after suffering a recurrence of a back injury.
However, Drechsler, who retired last October after a career spanning 27 years, has predicted a bright future for the 25-year-old Herne Hill Harrier, providing she makes a full recovery from injury.
The German said: "She is a big talent. I wish her a very good future and hope she can make it to the next Olympics - she is still young.
"Injuries are a problem but she can learn from it. I can't think that she will stop. Sometimes it is very difficult but I wish her good luck."
Johnson has at times had problems with her take-off and has often found herself producing few valid jumps in a competition.
Drechsler, however, believes the Londoner has improved in that area, saying: "She had better technique in Athens than before. I saw her in the competition there and she looks very constant."
The 40-year-old is set to return to Helsinki, where she won the long jump title at the inaugural world championships in 1983, for the tenth staging of the event.
The championships are due to begin on August 6 and it will be the first major competition that the former East German will attend in her role as a reporter for Eurosport. It will also be the first major event since Drechsler retired following a competition in Tahiti last October.
