The tears which flowed immediately down Isinbayeva’s face after she failed for a third time at 4.85m tonight summed up our own frustration and disappointment at this competition which despite a South American record for Brazilian Fabiana Murer (4.70m) was generally below par.
While the Russian World, Olympic and European champion retained the World indoor crown it was the manner of her victory and the lacklustre state of the overall fight in which she was involved that left us at a low ebb rather than with at an expected high.
Isinbayeva joined the final at 4.65m, at which point five of the other eight competitors were still vying for medals, four still with clean jumping cards up to and including 4.60 – Jenn Stuczynski (USA), Svetlana Feofanova (RUS), Monika Pyrek (POL), and Murer – and one – Anna Rogowska (POL) – clear on her second attempt at 4.55m (NB. Rogowska was to proceed no higher).
The four with 4.60m clearances all passed 4.65m, and while three had success at 4.70m, that height was to be the beginning of the demise for Feofanova who failed first time and then moved her last two chances to 4.75, knocking the bar off on both occasions.
Murer who trains regularly with Isinbayeva in the summer, held the previous Area record at 4.66m, and so her success at 4.70m provided a much needed upbeat note to the night.
However, when the Brazilian and Pyrek, who had also cleared 4.70m on her first attempt, moved five centimetres up the uprights the bar was dislodged each time.
But we all wondered could the final still hold a surprise when Stuczynski, who until a back injury hampered her summer season seemed to be a possible challenger to Isinbayeva’s pre-eminence last year, sailed cleared 4.75m on her second try – a personal best.
This height of 4.75m the Russian cleared with her first approach and that was ultimately to be the decisive moment of the final, as with both women failing their next height (4.85m), the competition fizzled out, with the title remaining in Isinbayeva’s hands by virtue of that first time failure by the American.
Tears followed from the World record holder (4.95m indoors / 5.01m outdoors) but were they prompted by simple relief that she had won or was it that she shared the frustration of everyone else in the arena who had expected so much more from today’s final
Bronze was shared by Murer and Pyrek on 4.70m.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
