IAAF Olympic preview--Women's Pole Vault

[patchdoggydogg]

Is there a bigger gold medal favourite in Beijing than Yelena Isinbayeva? With two World records in her four outdoor outings this summer, the conventional wisdom clearly says, no.

With Olympic, World and European gold already on her vast resume, the wildly popular 26-year-old Russian has captured every major accolade available to her. And after a stunning 18 day stretch in July, she illustrated clearly that’s she’s on the fast track to adding another Olympic gold to her collection.

Opening her season with a 5.03m leap at Rome’s Golden Gala on 11 July to add a notch to her global standard set in 2005, Isinbayeva soundly silenced the critics who have questioned her decision to make a major revision to her style and technique over the past few season. If any critics remained, they surely hung their heads in shame after she improved it again to 5.04m in Monaco on 29 July for her 23rd World record.

As far as her dominance is concerned, very little has changed. Four years ago in Athens, Isinbayeva opened her competition at 4.70m, a height which would eventually decide the bronze medallist. While not quite as likely, it is conceivable that a similar scenario will be replicated.

American Jen Stuczynski’s continued rise this season – the American improved her national record to 4.92m at the U.S Trials in Eugene to move up to No. 2 all-time – signaled a potential threat to Isinbayeva’s dominance. But as the Russian pointed out just prior to her 2008 debut in Rome, “Remember, there are many men who jump 6m to 6.04m which brings them very close to 6.15 (outright world record). But while they are close it doesn’t mean they are ever likely to jump 6.15m.”

You can read the rest at http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/kind=108 ... 46509.html