Yelena Isinbayeva with her latest world record figures (© Getty Images)
Ask any theatre director what actors do when left to their own devices. They end up downstage centre, that’s to say, right in the middle of the spotlight. Cue Yelena Isinibayeva. On her own admission, after bringing the house down yet again, clearing 5.05 metres to win her second Olympic gold and set her 24th World record, she loves nothing more than having the stage to herself.
“I love it so much, I feel like an actress. They (the crowd) are there just for me. They want a World record, so at least, I will try to do my best. And I was confident, I really wanted to make all the people happy.”
“I wasn’t afraid of this height, sometimes in different stadia, I feel 4.50 is like six metres, but tonight, this felt low. Now I feel so happy that I have 24 World records.”
This statement raised the inevitable question, of when she would get up to 36 World records, beating the 35 of that guy from the Ukraine, now masquerading as IAAF Senior Vice President.
She almost looked shocked, “No, I will never bear Sergey (Bubka). He was the best in the world. But I will try to do my best. I’m going to do another twelve.”
Now she knows her position
Amid the joy, laughter and exuberance, there was one thing which still rankled, namely the comments of Jen Stuczcinski of the US, who had done a bit of trash talking before the Games. The American incidentally was still at dope testing after taking the silver with 4.80 metres, so didn’t attend the press conference, which would have been interesting.
Isinbayeva was still smiling, which appears to be her default mode, but she said, “It made me angry. How is it possible she is talking to much like that. It made me want to prove who is better. It wasn’t nice, she must show respect, and know her position. Now she knows her position."
Senior lieutenant
Isinbayeva is of an unusual cultural mix. Her mother is Russian, but her father is a member of one of the Federation’s smallest ethnic groups, the Tabasarans, who number barely 100,000, and come from the Republic of Dagestan, which borders the Caspian Sea, at Russia’s south-west tip. She was born in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, site of the famous siege and battle which turned the fortunes on the Eastern front in the Second World War.
She graduated from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture with a Batchelor’s degree, and, between training session is working for her master’s. She is still a member of the Russian Army team, and in 2005 was given the rank of senior lieutenant. That must come in handy when booking restaurants in her current home in Monaco.
It was already well past midnight by now, and someone asked if she resented having come to talk to the hacks, when she could have been relaxing at a restaurant, or at least having a well-earned beer or glass of wine.
“No, it’s a pleasure for me. I know you have been waiting two or three hours, but I want to feel professional. After all, you are my PR people in your different countries.”
It’s a good job the moderator called the conference to an end. She’d have kept us there all night. Just as she did the crowd outside. And we got just as good a performance. Someone called out a last question just as we were filing out, “What next?”
“See you in London 2012,” she laughed. What a trouper!
Pat Butcher for the IAAF
