Olympics: Isinbayeva breaks record to win women's pole vault gold

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

BEIJING - Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia put in yet another masterful display of high-class pole vaulting on Monday to better her own world record on the way to defending Olympic gold.

The reigning Olympic and double world champion cleared 5.05m, 1cm higher than her own world record of 5.04m set in Monaco last month and a massive 25cm more than her closest competitor in an event she has dominated for the last four years.

She has been the world record holder since July 2004 and has now raised the bar on 24 occasions, although until last month she had not broken the outdoor mark since 2005.

The Russian only entered the competition at the National Stadium at 4.70m, when there were only four other vaulters still in with a chance. Seven others had crashed out at sub-4.70m heights.

She passed twice at 4.75m and 4.80m before easily vaulting 4.85m. She then set a new Olympic record of 4.95m after failing twice at that height.

Burying herself under a duvet between vaults, she cleared 5.05m at her third attempt.

Isinbayeva immediately fell to her knees, then stood up and promptly did a forward somersault before running to fetch a Russian flag for a well-deserved lap of honour.

American Jennifer Stuczynski won silver with 4.80m after bailing out three times at 4.90m. Russian Svetlana Feofanova took bronze with a best of 4.75m.

Russian Yulia Golubchikova finished fourth on 4.75m on countback from Feofanova. Monica Pyrek of Poland cleared 4.70m before bailing out.