Yelena Isinbayeva Russian Pole Vaulter

Friday, August 6, 2010

Yelena Isinbayeva Russian Pole Vaulter

Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva (Russian) (born 3 June 1982) is a Russian pole vaulter. She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (2004 and 2008), was named Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus in 2007 and 2009. Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2009. As a result of her accomplishments, many consider her to be the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time.

On 22 July 2005 she became the first woman to clear the historic 5.00 metre barrier in the pole vault.

At the age of 27 Isinbayeva has been a nine-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion).

Isinbayeva's current world records are 5.06 m outdoors, a record Isinbayeva set in Zurich on August 28, 2009, and 5.00 m indoors, a record set at the Donetsk indoor meeting on 15 February 2009. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-seventh world record

Yelena Isinbayeva smile