Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) vaults clear in Glasgow (© Getty Images)
Russia’s World outdoor Pole Vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva recognises that team selection for the 10th IAAF World Indoor championships in Budapest (5-7 March) will be tight and will throw her into a three-way battle for the two available squad slots for the discipline.
Isinbayeva, who in her indoor season’s debut last weekend came close to a new World record in Glasgow when she had three close tries for 4.81m, is the current outdoor record holder with 4.82m which she achieved in Gateshead last July.
”My main priorities are Athens and Budapest and then trying to break World records,” said last summer’s World championship bronze medallist. “But with Budapest it might not be so easy. There are only two spots in the team and there are at least three of us, myself, Svetlana (Feofanova) and Tatyana (Polnova)." Therefore ”the Russian championships in middle of February in Moscow will be the decisive meeting.”
“This winter we had very good training at my home base in Volgogard. We got a new landing area and I got used to jumping more often with harder poles. I really was not surprised with my result in Glasgow. I expected it after my training results,” explained Isinbayeva who has also been World Junior record holder since 2001.
What about the first five metres jump?
”I cannot tell you about my rivals, but I can assure that I will do my personal best and that it will happen soon. Maybe sooner than experts were thinking some years ago.“
Isinbayeva also confirmed she will make her first start of the outdoor season at the premier Czech athletics meeting, IAAF Super Grand Prix Golden Spike of Ostrava, on 8 June 2004.
