Yelena Isinbayeva with her Millrose athlete of the meet trophy (© Kirby Lee)
Russian pole vaulting star Yelena Isinbayeva, whose most recent World indoor record her 4.93m vault in Donetsk on 10 February has just been ratified, is looking forward to her first ever chase of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot.
The women’s Pole Vault is one of the ten designated Jackpot events of the 2007 IAAF Golden League for the first time in the history of the prestigious one-day meeting series which kicks off in Oslo on 15 June.
“I am very happy that women’s Pole Vault will be a Golden League discipline this year”, confirmed Isinbayeva who made her base this winter in Aosta, Northern Italy, where she was training with IAAF World Cup runner-up Fabiana Murer from Brazil, and reigning men’s World Junior champion German Chiaraviglio of Argentina.
“The Golden League will be a big target for all pole vault girls. I am planning to compete in all six meetings in the attempt to win a share of the Jackpot. It will be a tough achievement especially because it’s a World championship’s year and the season will be very long.”
Murer, who finished second behind Isinbayeva in the IAAF World Cup in Athens last September and vaulted 4.66 twice in Monaco and Brussels, will be one of the Russian’s main rivals this summer. The Brazilian is a former gymnast like Isinbayeva, and may be the woman to watch in 2007.
“Fabiana is learning a lot from training with me. At the same time she is giving me the push to progress,” confirmed Isinbayeva.
Other notable rivals could be Polish stars Monyka Pyrek and Anna Rogowska. Pyrek was the only vaulter able to beat Isinbayeva in the last two years at the 2006 IAAF Super Grand Prix in Stockholm.
This year the Golden League requires a six out of six winning streak to claim a share of the $1 Million Jackpot. “I find that this formula is better than in 2006 because at the end just the strongest athletes of the series able to win all six meetings will have the possibility to win the Jackpot.”
“I am very excited that the women’s Pole Vault will be a Golden League discipline. This will make our event more popular. People will speak more about Pole Vault next summer.”
The former Russian gymnast is confident that 2007 may feature a return to 5 metres heights. “I feel that I am stronger this year. I have improved my technique under the guidance of Vitaliy Petrov. I have changed the run-up and the take-off. It is giving me more advantage and I am vaulting better. The target is to vault 5 metres during the summer.”
Isinbayeva is now living in Monte-Carlo but spends some periods of the year training in Italy. She prepared last summer in the Italian Athletics School of Formia and this winter in Aosta. “In Italy people are very friendly. I feel at home.”
By winning the European outdoor title in Gothenburg last summer Isinbayeva won the only title missing in her showcase. The biggest target of her career is to break 36 World records, one more than Pole Vault legend Sergey Bubka.
“I am focused on athletics and I am hungry for new records in 2007. I am still very young and I have still big targets. I could take a break after Beijing but I would like to continue until the Olympic Games in London 2012. After the end of my career I would like to remain involved in athletics and help young kids who want to do athletics”, concluded Isinbayeva.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
