Yelena Isinbayeva in very rainy Heusden (© Nadia Verhoft)
World Pole Vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva is adamant despite a couple of recent hiccups she is totally and confidently focused on regaining her IAAF World Championships title in Daegu, Korea next month (27 August-4 September).
Russia’s reigning two-time Olympic champion Isinbayeva will have her biggest test of the outdoor season and the perfect opportunity to send out a serious message to her gold medal rivals when lining up in a world class field at the DN Galan - Samsung Diamond League - meeting in Stockholm on Friday (29).
The 29-year-old faces world leader Martina Strutz (4.78 metres) and her fellow German, currently third best on the season’s lists Silke Spiegelburg (4.75m), while World Indoor champion Fabiana Murer of Brazil and Isinbayeva's fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova (both 4.70m) will be joined by Sweden's emerging teenage talent Angelica Bengtsson, the World Junior record holder.
“I am still the best vaulter in the world… nothing has changed”
Isinbayeva who set the DN Galan meeting and stadium record of 4.85 metres three years ago is relishing her return to Scandinavia and in particular putting behind her the recent disappoints, of Lignano last week (20 July) when she no-heighted, and having to withdraw from competing in Lucerne two days later after a freak accident.
Having opened her summer campaign well on a wet, cold and windy night when clearing 4.60m in Heusden in early July, the 27 time World records breaker (indoors and outdoors), her failure in Lignano brought back sad memories of a episode which saw her crash out of the 2009 World Championships without making a height.
Doubts of her sustainability as the World's greatest women's pole vaulter were rekindled when she also lost her 2010 IAAF World Indoor title in Doha when Murer defeated, after which Isinbayeva took the remainder of the year off to recharge her batteries.
But despite such question marks being raised, the All-Russian Federation and in particular its President Valentin Balakhnichev confirmed her in the Russian team for Daegu without her taking part in last weekend's National Championships, whilst her coach Yevgeny Trofimov insists she is in the shape to be crowned World champion for a third time.
Isinbayeva valuing their support, said: "Well my last two World Championships (Berlin and Doha) were not good at all and my main objective this year is to regain my world outdoor title. Especially with missing the outdoor season last year, I want to show that I am still the best vaulter in the world and that nothing has changed.”
“No excuse”
Summing up her outdoor start, Isinbayeva added: "Except for the weather, everything in my first couple of vaults went very well in Heusden. My approach was fine. I felt quick and I was focused on doing my best performance that day.”
"I can’t explain that," she admitted of the no height in Lignano. "I felt no power that day. My legs felt a bit heavy and there was not very good speed. And when I started to remove my warm-up suit, it began to rain.”
"So perhaps I was thinking this would be just like the previous meeting with rain, windy conditions. But it is no excuse. I just did not feel at my best condition that evening."
Fell in warm-up… “shock to my wrist”
Then two days later came the next and very much unexpected incident when on the training track and warming up for her outing in Lucerne, she suffered an accident which fortunately proved not to be serious.
"Many people have asked me about this and to make it clear now, I fell in my warm-up in Lucerne," Isinbayeva explained. "Instead of falling forward on the vaulting pad, my body fell backwards on the track. I put my arm out to catch the ground or you as you say, brace myself.”
“I took most of the impact on my hand and wrist. I would say it was almost from 3.5 meters height that I fell backwards to the ground. So it was a bit of shock to my hand and wrist.”
"I immediately looked over to my coach Trofimov and he told me to continue to warm-up. But then after a few minutes he called to me. He must have seen something in my warm-up that told him that I should not continue and not to compete that evening.”
"Rather than risk injury we decided to stop. I believe that was the right decision because if I had continued who knows what could have happened. Perhaps nothing, but perhaps I hurt myself and then I must miss Daegu next month.”
"So better to stop, get myself treated and properly looked after and then move to the next competition. But my wrist is fine and there is no problem."
Isinbayeva insisting Lignano and Lucerne are now out of her mind and her confidence unshaken, added: "I know that I am in a very good condition. I am motivated to do my very best and to regain my top ranking in the world along with the World Championship title."
A “talented young athlete” - Bengtsson
Her opposition in Sweden's 1912 Olympic Stadium on Friday includes possible heir apparant Bengtsson who took away her 10-year-old European Junior Championship record with a clearance of 4.57m and has a lifetime best of 4.63m indoors in February appropriately at the XKL Galan meet in Stockholm,.
"I met her the first time in Singapore last year when she competed at the Youth Olympic Games and I was the Role Model Ambassador," said Isinbayeva who saw the Swedish record holder win the gold medal in Singapore. Encouragingly she added: "I know she is a talented young athlete and she will continue to develop and do well."
Bengtsson 18, recalling the encounter and looking forward to facing her in competition, said: "She said I was jumping good when she watched me in the competition and thought that I could jump higher. I think that maybe I can jump higher. I'm in good shape. It's a great meet with the best pole vaulters in the world.
"I will focus on my own competition but it will be exciting to be on the same track."
Murer is ready for the fight
Murer, who has trained with Isinbayeva in the past, is also looking forward to show her best form of the summer in what will be her penultimate appearance- she competes at the following weekend's Samsung Diamond League leg in London - before travelling to Korea.
The Brazilian fourth in the 2011 World lists, said: "I think I can improve my best mark of the season. I think it will be a very hard competition with many good athletes taking part. The Diamond League for me is to prepare for Daegu and fight for a medal there."
Meanwhile Isinbayeva said of her pre-Daegu and post DN Galan schedule: "I will return to my training base in Volgograd with my coach and we will prepare for the World Championships and then depart with our National team to a training camp.”
"We will then go to Daegu sometime just before my qualifications (28 August). Stockholm will be my final competition before the championships."
Dave Martin for the Samsung Diamond League
