TWO-time Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva insists her pole vault career is far from over and has set her sights on three more major gold medals – starting with next year’s World Championships.
The 28-year-old cut a forlorn figure at last year’s World Championships and made a teary exit from Berlin after her vice-like grip on the world number one spot was wrestled away from her. In Berlin she failed to clear a height while at the World Indoor Championships in Doha in March, she could only manage fourth place.
It was an astonishing dip in form compared to her dominance over female pole vaulting that saw her set 27 word records (15 outdoor and 12 indoor) and clinch nine straight gold medals at major championships between 2004 and 2009.
The Russian, whose world record currently stands at 5.06m, confirmed she would be taking an indefinite break from athletics in April, citing the need to rest after eight years’ dedication to her sport.
That saw her miss the chance to defend her European title in Barcelona last month, but Isinbayeva insists she will be back to reclaim her world title in Daegu, Korea next year before heading to the London 2012 Olympics and then most probably bringing her curtain down on her career at the 2013 World Championships in front of a home crowd in Moscow.
“I only took a break in 2010 because I realised after all my achievements I needed a break ahead of the big competitions that are coming up,” said Isinbayeva, speaking at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, for which she is an ambassador.
“There are the Olympics in London in 2012 and the World Championships in Daegu (2011) and Moscow (2013).
“I must rest now so that I can retire with 100 per cent satisfaction.
“I’m hungry. I want to be the best, like the captain of the ship. I want to be the best again.”
Despite her nightmare showing at the World Championships last year in Berlin, Isinbayeva was able to bounce back with the most recent of world records.
But she admits that only served to temporarily mask the problem.
“When I was defeated in Berlin last year I cried for two days,” she added. “I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a bad dream and just wanted to wake up.
“My coach gave me three days off. I recovered and then I went to Zurich ten days later and set a new world record.
“I hoped that after Berlin that it was just a one-off, but after Doha I realised what the problem was. The break has given me new determination to be the best again.”
“For me it was a good lesson. It was too easy when I was winning and I didn’t know what it was like to lose. I now realise how big everything I had done was.
“I needed a break and I needed to enjoy myself. Now though, I want to be the best, to set new records and win competitions.” (Eurosport)