Issy in record denial

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http://www.eurosport.co.uk/athletics/pa ... 2209.shtml

Issy in record denial


Eurosport - Reda Maher - 08/07/2006 07:06

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Russia's IAAF world female athlete of the year Yelena Isinbayeva has denied to Eurosport that she deliberately sets out to break the Pole Vault world record centimetre by centimetre to gain prize money... well, almost.

Isinbayeva has set new heights no less than 19 times in this relatively new event for women, and with cash prizes on offer each time a mark is set there have been grumbles that she can actually jump much higher and – with the competition almost 20cm behind – she is merely holding out to win as much money as possible.

However, the Monaco-based star stated "I cannot do this because the other are getting better and better and someone else will come along and break the record if I do this."

Rumours have circulated that she jumps well clear of 5m – closer to 5.15 – in training, a claim which Isinbayeva is quick to dismiss.

"In training normally I don't jump so high, because of the different conditions.

"I don't think before every competition &lsquoI will try to jump 4.80 in this one, then 4.90 in this one then 5m in this one'... I just try to jump as high as I can."

So she can better the world record by 1cm each time?

(Laughing) "Yes..."

But – even if it was true - who would blame her? She moved from her native Volgograd to Monaco and spends much time training in Italy in order to continue her stratospheric progress, and with the Pole Vault not yet a Golden League jackpot discipline there is no chance of a share of the million dollar prize that would surely be hers.

"Tomorrow I will be happy if I win, and afterwards I will see about the height," she said of Saturday's meet in Paris.

The competition that is slowly catching up with her have started quickly this season, and Isinbayeva is confident they will continue to progress.

"I think Monica (Pyrek) can already go higher than 4.80 and will push further, but Anna (Rogowska) I don't know because we don't speak much".

NEW TECHNIQUE

Ever keen to improve her jumping and get that little bit closer to the heights reached by the men, Isinbayeva has used the close-season to fine-tune her technique and we can expect even more this season.

"We've changed my jump and also a bit on my run-up," she said.

"I feel a bit better now, we've changed the entry to my jump and it's improving. My position before my shoulder was too far forward, we've changed that so my run-up will be better. My take off will now be higher than before."

Scary stuff. So other than knocking the competition dead (again), what are her other goals this season?

"I will try to do my best in every competition, try to improve my record, but it's difficult to say," she admitted.

"My second European Championships (in Gothenburg) is my real goal for the season."

But she is not counting her chickens.

"In Yokahoma (last season) I did nothing. It was the 17th competition of last year. But now I'm fresh and ready to fight."

Despite her jet-set life these days, Isinbayeva's home is where her heart is.

"l spend most of my time in Formia (Italy)... officially my home is Monaco... but really for me it is Russia."

FACT: Yelena Isinbayeva's hobby is collecting figures and artworks of dolphins – she now has over thirty of these items... If she continues smashing records at last season's rate, expect her to own a sanctuary anon.