Date:13/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/13/stories/2007071361212200.htm

Sport - Athletics

Yelena Isinbayeva ready for competition

ROME: Yelena Isinbayeva has competed on a level all to herself for the past three seasons.

That could change on Friday at the Golden gala championships. The Russian pole vault World record-holder will go up against Jennifer Stuczynski for the first time since the American cleared 4.88 metres on June 2 — tying Stuczynski with former World record-holder Svetlana Feofanova for second best all time.

That anger was there last week when Isinbayeva set a season’s best of 4.91 at the previous Golden League meet in Paris.

Still, she failed on three attempts to add a centimetre to her World record of 5.01.

Isinbayeva has improved the World record 20 times, but not since establishing 5.01 at the worlds in Helsinki, Finland in 2005.

Feofanova will also be on hand on Friday at Stadio Olimpico. — AP