Feofonava and Isbinyeva to compete at Gateshead

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Rivals are not a pole apart

Jun 25 2004

By Bill Mcguirk, The Evening Chronicle

Athletics' fiercest rivalry opens another major chapter on Sunday when Russian pole vault pair Svetlana Feofanova and Yelena Isinbayeva go head-to-head in the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Gateshead Stadium.

The duo last met on Tyneside 12 months ago when Isinbayeva came out on top, setting a new world record of 4:82 metres on her way to victory, a record which lasted until earlier this month when America's Stacy Dragila cleared one centimetre higher in Ostrava.

Unfortunately, Isinbayeva's record-breaking height, which rewarded her with 50,000 dollars, was witnessed by less that 1,000 spectators who had stayed behind 30 minutes after the meeting had ended.

Even the BBC were red-faced after their TV coverage had come to a close and they missed the historic occasion.

However, the organisers have made sure that will not happen again as the pole vault competition is pencilled in early in the programme and should be concluded long before the meeting is over.

Isinbayeva and Feofanova, also a past winner at the International Stadium, have broken an astonishing 14 world pole vault records indoor and outdoors during their careers.

Although they will be team-mates and hot favourites at this year's Olympic Games, they admit to not sharing the closest of relationships off the track.

While many of the vaulting fraternity help each other during competition, the pair rarely converse once the poles are out, a rivalry which urges each other for supremacy.

Isinbayeva's Gateshead victory last year listed her as favourite going into the World Championships in Paris but, as often happens, it was her countrywoman who tasted gold, Isinbayeva having to settle for third place.

With Athens just over two months away it is not unreasonable to expect fireworks on the Gateshead runway with both women hoping to show early season supremacy.

As well as the two Russians, a top-class international field of 10 competitors will line up.

Waiting for any slip-ups by the Russian pair is Australia's Tatyana Grigorieva.

Russian-born Grigorieva rose to the occasion in Sydney to show her adopted nation what she was capable of by lifting the silver medal in the last Olympics.

Also among the line-up are Poland pair Monica Pyrek and Anna Rogowska with Pyrek the in-form athlete, having finished second in the European Cup in front of her home fans last weekend.

British interest centres round Northern Ireland's Zoe Brown, who hopes for rousing home support after a disappointing performance in Poland when she was way below her best and finished sixth.