Isinbayeva rues lack of rivalry

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/0 ... ivalry.htm

Isinbayeva rues lack of rivalry
Zhou Zuyi
2005-09-16 Beijing Time

Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva takes questions from journalists at Shanghai Stadium yesterday. -- Guo Yijiang
STANDING alone at the top, Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva bemoaned the lack of competition in her sport and hoped that more top-flight vaulters would emerge in the coming months to make the sport more competitive.

The Russian flew into the city yesterday morning for tomorrow's Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

Isinbayeva won the World Championship in Helsinki last month with a world record leap of 5.01 meters. It was her fourth breakthrough in the year. Her nearest rival, Poland's Monika Pyrek, was a distant second with 4.60 meters.

Pyrek, along with compatriot Anna Rogowska, are in the field tomorrow that also includes Chinese hopefuls Gao Shuying and Wu Sha.

``I always say that I compete all by myself, against the weather and the bar for the sheer delight of the audience. I enjoy all of it but it would be more fun if some serious competitors joined in.''

One failed to detect even a trace of fatigue on the face of the 23-year-old when she appeared yesterday at the Shanghai Stadium, the venue for tomorrow's competition, hours after touching down from a long-haul flight.

The queen of pole vault struggled with local reporters' queries, much of which had to do with her off-field performance that came with her celebrity status.
She chuckled loudly when a reporter wondered if she had thought of pursuing a career on the ramp and then seemed to be at a loss of words when another quizzed her if she had given Hollywood a thought!

``For now, I want to focus on pole vaulting,'' Isinbayeva said. ``That's what my life is all about,'' the world champion, who trains six hours every day to stay in shape, said, putting to rest all speculations about her future.