Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva ( rus, Елена Гаджиевна Исинбаева, p=jɪˈlʲɛnə gɐˈdʐɨjɪvnə ɪsʲɪnˈbajɪvə; born 3 June 1982) is a Russian former
pole vault
Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...
er. She is a two-time
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
ist (2004 and 2008), a three-time World Champion (2005, 2007 and 2013), the current
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
holder in the event, and is widely considered the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time.
Isinbayeva was banned from the 2016 Rio Olympics after revelations of an extensive
state-sponsored doping programme in Russia, thus dashing her hopes of a grand retirement winning the Olympic gold medal. She retired from athletics in August 2016
[ after being elected to serve an 8-year term on the ]IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
's Athletes' Commission.[
Isinbayeva has been a major champion on nine occasions (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion). She was also the jackpot winner of the ]IAAF Golden League
The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of outdoor track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletes who won specific events at all of the series meetings were awarded a jackpot prize, ...
series in 2007 and 2009. After poor performances at the world championships in 2009 and 2010, she took a year-long break from the sport.
She became the first woman to clear the five-metre barrier in 2005. Her current world record is 5.06 m outdoors, set in Zurich in August 2009. Her 5.01 m indoors was the world record for just over a year. The latter was Isinbayeva's twenty-eighth pole vault world record.
Isinbayeva was named Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation foundin ...
in 2007 and 2009. In 2007 she entered in the FICTS "Hall of Fame" and was awarded with " Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur". She was given the Prince of Asturias Award
The Princess of Asturias Awards ( es, Premios Princesa de Asturias, links=no, ast, Premios Princesa d'Asturies, links=no), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 ( es, Premios Príncipe de Asturias, links=no), are a series of a ...
for Sports in 2009. She is one of only ten athletes (along with Valerie Adams
Dame Valerie Kasanita Adams (formerly Vili; born 6 October 1984) is a retired New Zealand shot putter. She is a four-time World champion, four-time World Indoor champion, two-time Olympic, three-time Commonwealth Games champion and twice IAAF ...
, Usain Bolt
Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.
An eight- ...
, Veronica Campbell-Brown
Veronica Campbell-Brown CD ( Campbell; born 15 May 1982) is a retired Jamaican track and field sprinter, who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters. , Jacques Freitag, Kirani James
Kirani James (born 1 September 1992) is a Grenadian professional sprinter who specializes in the 200 and 400 metres. He won the 400 m at the World Championships in 2011 and the 2012 London Olympics. In the 400 metres James also won the sil ...
, Jana Pittman
Jana Pittman (born 9 November 1982) is an Australian former athlete. During her athletic career Pittman specialised in the 400 metres run and 400-metre hurdles events. She is a two-time world champion in the 400 m hurdles, from 2003 and 200 ...
, Dani Samuels
Dani Stevens (née Samuels, born 26 May 1988) is a retired Australian discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event. She is the current national and Oceanian record holder. Stevens qualified for the 2020 ...
, David Storl and Faith Kipyegon
Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (born 10 January 1994) is a Kenyan middle-distance runner specializing in the 1500 metres. A 2016 Rio Olympic and 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion with the Games record at the latter, she is the second woman in history t ...
) to win world championships at the youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...
, junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
, and senior level of an athletic event.
Career
Early life and competition
Born to a Tabasaran father and a Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
mother in Volgograd
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
, Isinbayeva trained as a gymnast
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...
from the age of 5 to 15. She ultimately left the sport because, as she grew, she was considered too tall to be competitive in gymnastics, ultimately attaining a height of .
Six months after having taken up pole-vaulting she won her first major victory at age 16 during the 1998 World Youth Games
The 1998 World Youth Games was the first international multi-sport event of its kind. More than 7,500 young athletes representing 140 countries of the world participated in this event. The Games took place in Moscow, Russia from July 11 to 19, 199 ...
in Moscow, Russia with a height of 4.00 m. It was her third athletic competition. She jumped the same height at the 1998 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Annecy, France, but this left her 10 cm away from the medal placings.
In 1999, Isinbayeva improved on this height at the 1999 World Youth Championships in Athletics in Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
, Poland when she cleared 4.10 m to take her second gold medal.
At the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics Isinbayeva again took first place clearing 4.20 m ahead of German Annika Becker
Annika Becker (born 12 November 1981) is a retired German pole vaulter.
Becker was born in Rotenburg an der Fulda. Her personal best is 4.77 metres, achieved in July 2002 in Wattenscheid
Wattenscheid () is a Stadtbezirk of the city of Bochu ...
. The same year the women's pole vault made its debut as an Olympic event in Sydney, Australia where Stacy Dragila of the United States took gold. In the same event Isinbayeva did not make it out of the qualifying round.
She won another gold medal in 2001, this time at the European Junior Championships with a winning height of 4.40 m.
Isinbayeva continued to improve and 2002 saw her clear 4.55 m at the 2002 European Athletics Championships, where she gained her first senior championship medal (silver), finishing 5 cm short of her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova
Svetlana Yevgenyevna Feofanova (russian: Светлана Евгеньевна Феофанова; born 16 July 1980) is a Russian pole vaulter.
Svetlana Feofanova was born in Moscow, Soviet Union. She has studied at the Finance University unde ...
.
First world records and Olympic title
2003 was another year of progression and saw Isinbayeva win the European Under 23 Championships gold with 4.65 m (in Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...
). On 13 July 2003, just about a month after her 21st birthday, Isinbayeva set her first world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
at a meeting in Gateshead
Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
, England with a height of 4.82 m, which had made her the favourite to take gold at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics the following month. She ended up winning the bronze medal with Feofanova taking gold and Becker the silver.
At a meeting at Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine, Isinbayeva set a new indoor world record, with a height of 4.83 m only to see Feofanova increase this by two centimetres the following week. The following month at the Worlds Indoor Championships in March Isinbayeva broke Feofanova's record with a gold medal-winning jump of 4.86 m beating reigning indoor & outdoor champion Feofanova into bronze with reigning Olympic champion Dragila taking silver. The IAAF considered all three records to be over-all (outdoor) records, hence the indoor and outdoor records now stood at 4.86 m
27 June saw Isinbayeva return to Gateshead and improved the world record to 4.87 m. Feofanova responded the following week by breaking the record by a centimetre in Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
, Greece.
On 25 July in Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, England, Isinbayeva reclaimed the record jumping 4.89 m and five days later in Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is an area in south London, England, named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building, which stood in the area from 1854 until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. Approximately
south-east of Charing Cross, it includes one of ...
, added a further centimetre to the record.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in Athens, Isinbayeva won gold medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
with a new world record height of 4.91 m. She subsequently broke the record later that year at the Memorial Van Damme
The Memorial Van Damme is an annual athletics event at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, that takes place in late August or early September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now the final event of the Diamond L ...
in Brussels with a 4.92 m jump, her eighth world record of the season. Isinbayeva was named World Athlete of the Year
The World Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics (sport), athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly named IAAF), including track and field, cross country running ...
for winning the Olympic & World Indoor title and breaking the World record eight times.
World and European champion
At the European Indoor Championships in Madrid, Spain Isinbayeva won gold with a new indoor world record of 4.90 m. In July 2005, Isinbayeva broke the world record four times over three separate meetings. First in Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
, Switzerland, she added an extra centimetre to her own mark clearing 4.93 m. It was the 14th world record of Isinbayeva's career coming just three months after she broke her own indoor mark (4.89 m) in Lievin. Eleven days later, in Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, Spain, she added an additional 2 cm to clear 4.95 m. In Crystal Palace, London
Crystal Palace is an area in south London, England, named after the Crystal Palace Exhibition building, which stood in the area from 1854 until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. Approximately
south-east of Charing Cross, it includes one of ...
on 22 July, after improving the record to 4.96 m, she raised the bar to 5.00 m. She then became the first woman in history to clear the once mythical five-metre barrier in pole vaulting, achieving the monumental mark with a single attempt.
After the women's pole vault final at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland was delayed due to extremely bad weather conditions, Isinbayeva once again broke her own world record, performing 5.01 m in her second attempt, and winning the competition with a 41 cm margin of victory, which was the greatest margin ever obtained in any World or Olympic competition for the event. This was already the eighteenth world record in the career of the then 23-year-old Isinbayeva and her successful season was crowned with her second consecutive World Athlete of the Year
The World Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics (sport), athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly named IAAF), including track and field, cross country running ...
award.
At an indoor meeting on 12 February in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine, Isinbayeva set a new indoor world record. She cleared 4.91 m. In March she successfully defended her World Indoor title in front of a homeland crowd in Moscow, Russia. During the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg
Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
she won the gold medal with a CR of 4.80 metres. This was the only gold medal missing from her collection until that time. In September she won the World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
, representing Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, in Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.
Isinbayeva was crowned Laureus World Sports Woman of the Year for the 2006 season.
Second world and Olympic golds
On 10 February 2007 in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine, Isinbayeva broke the world indoor pole vault record again, by clearing 4.93 metres. It was Isinbayeva's 20th world record.
On 28 August 2007 Isinbayeva repeated as world champion in Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, () under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007. 200 of the IAAF's 212 member federat ...
with a 4.80 m performance, then failed three times at setting a new world record at 5.02 m. Her competition did no better than 4.75 m.
In 2007, she also won the IAAF Golden League Jackpot (which she shared with Sanya Richards) after having won all 2007 IAAF Golden League meetings.
Isinbayeva was unbeaten in the 2007 season and won 18 out of 18 competitions.
During the indoor 2008 season, Isinbayeva set her twenty-first world record, clearing 4.95 metres on 16 February 2008 in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine. A few weeks later, in Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
, Spain, Isinbayeva won the World Indoor Championships over Jennifer Stuczynski
Jennifer Lynn Suhr (née Stuczynski; born February 5, 1982) is an American former pole vaulter. She has been an Olympic and World champion, has been ranked #1 in the World, has been the #1 American pole vaulter since 2006, and has won a total of ...
. It was Isinbayeva's third consecutive World Indoor title.
On 11 July, at her first outdoor competition of the season, Rome's Golden Gala
Golden Gala is an annual track and field event normally held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League. Following the 2013 death of Italian sprinting legend Piet ...
, Isinbayeva broke her own world record, clearing 5.03 metres. This was her first world record outdoors since the 2005 World Championships. Isinbayeva stated that she had tried 5.02 metres so many times unsuccessfully that her coach told her to change something and so she attempted 5.03 metres. This record came just as people began to speculate her fall from the top of pole vaulting, as American Jennifer Stuczynski
Jennifer Lynn Suhr (née Stuczynski; born February 5, 1982) is an American former pole vaulter. She has been an Olympic and World champion, has been ranked #1 in the World, has been the #1 American pole vaulter since 2006, and has won a total of ...
cleared 4.92 metres at the American Olympic Trials. Isinbayeva stated that this motivated her to maintain her reputation as the world's greatest female pole vaulter. A few weeks later, at the Aviva London Grand Prix
The London Diamond League, formerly known as the London Grand Prix and subsequently as the Anniversary Games, is an annual athletics event held in London, England.
Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Di ...
, Isinbayeva and Stuczynski competed together for the first time of the outdoor season. Isinbayeva won the competition, with Stuczynski finishing second. Both attempted a new world record of 5.04 metres. Isinbayeva was tantalizingly close on her final attempt, with the bar falling only after Isinbayeva had landed on the mat.
She successfully cleared that height on 29 July, in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
, Monaco, her twenty-third world record.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in Beijing on 18 August, Isinbayeva needed two vaults to prolong her Olympic title reign and went on to finish the competition with 5.05m, a world record at the time, her 24th world record.
On 23 November in Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
, she was selected World Athlete of the Year
The World Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics (sport), athletics organised by World Athletics (formerly named IAAF), including track and field, cross country running ...
by the IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
for the third time in her career, along with Jamaican male sprinter Usain Bolt
Usain St. Leo Bolt, , (; born 21 August 1986) is a retired Jamaican sprinter, widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time. He is the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and 4 × 100 metres relay.
An eight- ...
.
Break and return
Isinbayeva started the 2009 season by becoming the first woman to vault over 5 metres indoors. She first raised her world indoor mark with a vault of 4.97 m, then raised the bar to 5.00 m and cleared that height as well. The two marks were set at the Pole Vault Stars indoor meet, on 15 February, in Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine. It was the sixth consecutive year she had set an indoor world record in this meet. She received the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year
The Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year is an annual award honouring the achievements of individual women from the world of sports. It was first awarded in 2000 as one of the seven constituent awards presented during the Laure ...
in recognition of her achievements – it was also the fifth time she had been nominated for the award in as many years.
At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Isinbayeva lost her second competition of the year after failing to achieve a successful vault. The world champion was Anna Rogowska
Anna Rogowska (born 21 May 1981) is a retired Polish athlete who specialised in the pole vault. She became the World Champion in 2009 in Berlin.
Career
Born in Gdynia, she won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, narrowly beating Monika Pyrek ...
who also beat her in the London Athletics Grand Prix
The London Athletics Meet, formerly known as the London Grand Prix and subsequently as the Anniversary Games and London Diamond League, is an annual athletics event held in London, England.
Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, ...
in May. However, Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record at the Weltklasse Golden League meeting by clearing 5.06 m. On 2 September she was given the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award
The Princess of Asturias Awards ( es, Premios Princesa de Asturias, links=no, ast, Premios Princesa d'Asturies, links=no), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 ( es, Premios Príncipe de Asturias, links=no), are a series of a ...
for Sports.
She hoped to put her World Championships no-mark performance behind her by aiming for a world indoor record at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships. The Russian cleared her opening height of 4.60 m at the championships in Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
, but she faltered at 4.75 m and she ended up in fourth place and outside of the medals for a second consecutive time. Following another disappointment at a major championships, she decided to take time out from the sport to recuperate, saying: "A break from competing is absolutely necessary for me. After more than eight years of very hard training and competing at the highest levels both indoors and outdoors each year I need to step back in order for my body to properly recover".
She missed the opportunity to defend her title at the 2010 European Championships and she was succeeded by her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova, while Fabiana Murer went on to claim the inaugural Diamond League
The Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field athletic competitions comprising fourteen of the best invitational athletics meetings. The series sits in the top tier of the World Athletics (formerly known as the IAAF) one-day mee ...
pole vault series. Isinbayeva continued to train with Vitaliy Petrov during her time out, however, although did not appear in competition until the start of the 2011 indoor season. The Russian Winter Meeting
The Russian Winter Meeting (russian: Русская Зима) is an annual indoor track and field competition which is held at the Kutz Arena within the CSKA Universal Sports Hall in Moscow, Russia, every February. The event is part of the annual ...
in February 2011 was the venue for her comeback and she demonstrated her resurgence of form with a first time clearance of 4.81 m, comfortably defeating Feofanava.
In March 2011, Isinbayeva left her coach Vitaly Petrov and returned to her former mentor Yevgeny Trofimov, who had coached her since the age of 15 and until 2005. During the 2011 summer season she participated in only a few competitions and on 29 July she won the 2011 Diamond League meeting in Stockholm with a season best of 4.76 m. However, in the World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in Daegu
Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea.
It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...
she ended up again outside of the medals, taking the sixth place with 4.65 m.
She began 2012 with a clearance of 4.70 m at the Governor's Cup in Volgograd. At the 2012 Olympic Games, she easily qualified for the finals, where she came third with 4.70 m. She considered the bronze medal a success but mentioned that she would like to retire as acting Olympic champion. During the London Games she caused surprise and amusement in Britain when she was reported to have told Russian TV that the people of the UK were not interested in the Olympic Games and many Londoners were not even aware they were happening in their city.
In 2016, during the Russian nationals, she posted the world leading jump of 4.90 m following a ban of Russian track and field from the Olympics. The ban prevented her from taking part in the Rio Olympics
)
, nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams)
, athletes = 11,238
, events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines)
, opening = 5 August 2016
, closing = 21 August 2016
, opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro d ...
, but she was elected to serve an 8-year term on the IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
's Athletes' Commission, after which she announced her retirement from athletics.
In December 2016, Isinbayeva became the chair of the supervisory board of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA; russian: Российское антидопинговое агентство, РУСАДА), established in January 2008, is the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), affiliated with (but suspen ...
.
Views
After the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its co ...
turned down an appeal by Russian athletes, Isinbayeva wrote, "Let all those pseudo clean foreign athletes breathe a sigh of relief and win their pseudo gold medals in our absence. They always did fear strength." She called for whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova
Yuliya Igorevna Stepanova ( née Rusanova; russian: Ю́лия И́горевна Степанова (Русанова); born 3 July 1986) is a Russian runner who specializes in the 800 metres track event. Stepanova was also an informant for W ...
to be "banned for life".
After she became chair of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency
The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA; russian: Российское антидопинговое агентство, РУСАДА), established in January 2008, is the Russian National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), affiliated with (but suspen ...
's supervisory board, IAAF taskforce chair Rune Andersen stated, "It is difficult to see how this helps to achieve the desired change in culture in track and field, or how it helps to promote an open environment for Russian whistleblowers", noting that Isinbayeva had called a WADA report "groundless" without reading it, publicly criticised whistleblowers (Andrei Dmitriev, Yuliya Stepanova
Yuliya Igorevna Stepanova ( née Rusanova; russian: Ю́лия И́горевна Степанова (Русанова); born 3 July 1986) is a Russian runner who specializes in the 800 metres track event. Stepanova was also an informant for W ...
, and Vitaliy Stepanov), and had not signed a pledge for clean sport or endorsed a Russian anti-doping group.
Personal life
Her father, Gadzhi Gadzhiyevich Isinbayev, is a Tabasaran plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, and for sewage and drainage in plumbing systems. while her mother, a shop assistant, is Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
. Isinbayeva also has a sister named Inna. Isinbayeva came from humble beginnings and remembers that her parents had to make many financial sacrifices in her early career.[Athletics: Isinbayeva raises the bar , Sport , The Observer](_blank)
''The Guardian''. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
She has both a Bachelor's and Master's
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. Degree after graduating from the Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture. Currently she is continuing her post-graduate studies there and also studying at the Donetsk National Technical University
Donetsk National Technical University (DonNTU, formerly Donetsk Polytechnic Institute and other names) is the biggest and oldest higher education establishment in Donbas, founded in 1921. In its early years, it was attended by Nikita Khrushchev. ...
.
In the Russian club competitions she represents the railroad military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
team; she is formally an officer in the Russian army, and on 4 August 2005 she was given the military rank of senior lieutenant before being promoted to captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in August 2008.
She features in Toshiba
, commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...
ads promoting their entire product line in Russia. She also appears in a Lady's Speed Stick advertisement in Russia.
On 2 December 2010 she gave a speech before the FIFA delegates in Zürich. Later on that occasion it was announced that Russia will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
.
Yelena Isinbayeva is now a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport
Peace and Sport, also known as "L’Organisation pour la Paix par le Sport" is a neutral and independent organization based in the Principality of Monaco and under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Peace and Sport work in areas acros ...
, a Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
-based international organization.
On 15 August 2013, Isinbayeva courted controversy by condemning homosexuality, criticizing athletes for supporting LGBT rights and coming out in favour of a law banning "homosexual propaganda that targets children" in Russia which had drawn sharp criticism from some representatives of the international community and had led activists to call for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in the Russian resort of Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, calling foreign athletes to "respect Russian traditions". Isinbayeva was an ambassador for the games and welcomed athletes as a "mayor" of the Olympic Village
An Olympic Village is an accommodation center built for the Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials and athletic trainers. Afte ...
at Sochi. She later released a statement through the IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
, athletics' world governing body, saying that she was "misunderstood" due to poor English.
Earlier, Isinbayeva had made critical remarks in response to a gesture made by the Swedish high-jumper Emma Green Tregaro and others who had painted their fingernails in rainbow colours as an expression of support for gays and lesbians in Russia and in protest against recently passed laws banning what the Russian government describe as propaganda for nontraditional sexual relations directed at minors. The Swedish Olympic Committee subsequently cautioned their athletes against engaging in the same type of manifestations at the Sochi Olympics.
On 7 February 2014, Isinbayeva, while pregnant, was one of the final torch bearers for the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. She has one child, Eva, born 28 June 2014. She married Eva's father, javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...
er Nikita Petinov (b. 1990) shortly before their daughter's birth and had a wedding celebration on 12 December 2014.
International competitions
Results
2004
* 1st – 4.83 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine
* 1st – 4.86 m – World Indoor Championships, Budapest, Hungary (WR)
* 1st – 4.87 m – IAAF Gateshead, Great Britain (WR)
* 1st – 4.89 m – Birmingham International Meeting, Great Britain (WR)
* 1st – 4.90 m – British Grand Prix London, Great Britain (WR)
* 1st – 4.91 m – Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece (WR)
* 1st – 4.92 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium (WR)
* 1st – 4.83 m – 2nd World Athletics Final, Monte Carlo, Monaco
2005
* 1st – 4.87 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine
* 1st – 4.90 m – European Indoor Championships, Madrid, Spain
* 1st – 4.93 m – IAAF Lausanne, Switzerland (WR)
* 1st – 4.95 m – Meeting de Madrid, Spain (WR)
* 1st – 5.00 m – IAAF London, Great Britain (WR)
* 1st – 4.79 m – IAAF Stockholm, Sweden
* 1st – 5.01 m – World Championships, Helsinki, Finland (WR)
* 1st – 4.93 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium
* 1st – 4.74 m – 3rd World Athletics Final, Monte Carlo, Monaco
2006
* 1st – 4.91 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine (iWR)
* 1st – 4.79 m – Norwich Union Grand Prix, Birmingham, Great Britain
* 1st – 4.72 m – Meeting Gaz de France du Pas-de-Calais, Lievin, France
* 1st – 4.80 m – World Indoor Championships, Moscow, Russia
* 1st – 4.76 m – IAAF Paris Saint-Denis, France
* 1st – 4.90 m – IAAF Lausanne, Switzerland
* 1st – 4.91 m – IAAF London, Great Britain
* 1st – 4.80 m – European Championships, Gothenburg, Sweden
* 1st – 4.81 m – Golden League Brussels, Belgium
* 1st – 4.75 m – 4th World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany
2007
* 1st – 4.93 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine (iWR)
* 1st – 4.91 m – Meeting Gaz De France, Paris, France
* 1st – 4.90 m – Golden League Rome, Italy
* 1st – 4.82 m – Norwich Union Super Grand Prix, London, Great Britain
* 1st – 4.80 m – World Championships, Osaka, Japan
* 1st – Golden League Brussels, Belgium
* 1st – 4.87 m – 5th World Athletics Final, Stuttgart, Germany
2008
* 1st – 4.95 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine (iWR)
* 1st – 4.75 m – World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain
* 1st – 5.03 m – Golden Gala, Rome, Italy (WR)
* 1st – 5.04 m – Super Grand Prix, Monte Carlo, Monaco (WR)
* 1st – 5.05 m – Summer Olympics, Beijing, China (WR)
* 1st – 4.88 m – IAAF Zurich, Switzerland
2009
* 1st – 5.00 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine (iWR)
* 1st – 4.82 m – Aviva Grand Prix, Birmingham, Great Britain
* 1st – 4.83 m – ISATF Berlin, Germany
* 1st – 4.65 m – Meeting Gaz de France, Paris, France
* 2nd – 4.68 m – Aviva London Grand Prix, London, Great Britain
* no height recorded – World Championships, Berlin, Germany
* 1st – 5.06 m – IAAF Golden League, Zurich, Switzerland (WR)
2010
* 1st – 4.85 m – Russian Winter Meeting, Moscow, Russia
* 1st – 4.85 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine
* 4th – 4.60 m – World Indoor Championships, Doha, Qatar
2011
* 1st – 4.81 m – Russian Winter Meeting, Moscow, Russia
* 1st – 4.85 m – Pole Vault Stars, Donetsk, Ukraine
* 1st – 4.60 m – Night of Athletics, Heusden, Belgium
* 1st – 4.76 m – Diamond League, Stockholm, Sweden
* 6th – 4.65 m – World Championships, Daegu, South Korea
2012
* 1st – 5.01 m – XL-Galan, Stockholm, Sweden (iWR)
* 1st – 4.80 m – World Indoor Championships, Istanbul, Turkey
* 3rd – 4.70 m – Summer Olympic, London, Great Britain
2013
* 1st – 4.78 m – Ostrava Meeting, Ostrava, Czech Republic
* 1st – 4.75 m – Russian National Championship, Moscow, Russia
* 1st – 4.89 m – World Championships, Moscow, Russia
2016
* 1st – 4.90 m – Russian National Championship, Cheboksary, Russia
World record progression by Isinbayeva
Yelena Isinbayeva has set 17 world records and 13 indoor world records. Several of her indoor world records were also ratified as world records.["From 2000, ]IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
Rule 260.18s (formerly 260.6.a) was amended to say world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
s (as opposed to indoor world records) can be set in a facility 'with or without a roof.' So far, only one event – the women's pole vault – has been affected by this change, which was not applied retrospectively. Therefore world records set in 2000 and 2001 by Stacy Dragila and Svetlana Feofanova can be regarded as 'absolute' and appear on these ecord progressionlists.
(p.546) This rule also applies to Isinbayev's and Feofanova's 2004 marks.
Records list
(''Records in bold are current ones.'')
See also
*List of Olympic medalists in athletics (women)
This is the complete list of women's Olympic medalists in athletics.
Women’s events
100 metres
200 metres
400 metres
800 metres
1500 metres
5000 metres
10,000 metres
Marathon
100 metres hurdles
400 metres hurdles
3000 me ...
*List of 2004 Summer Olympics medal winners
This is a list of medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics, which were held in Athens, Greece.
__NOTOC__
Archery
Athletics
Track Men’s events
Women’s events
Road
Field Men’s events
Women’s events
* Athletes ...
*List of 2008 Summer Olympics medal winners
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby unio ...
*List of 2012 Summer Olympics medal winners
The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, were held in London, United Kingdom, from 25 July 2012 to 12 August 2012.
Approximately 10,500 athletes participated in 302 events in 26 sports. Athletes from the Unite ...
*List of World Athletics Championships medalists (women)
Women have contested events at the World Athletics Championships since its inauguration in 1983. The top three athletes in each event win gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively. A one-off edition of the championships was also held the same y ...
*List of IAAF World Indoor Championships medalists (women)
This is the complete list of women's medalists at the IAAF World Indoor Championships
The World Athletics Indoor Championships are a biennial indoor track and field competition served as the global championship for that version of the sport. ...
*
*
* List of pole vault national champions (women)
*List of members of the International Olympic Committee
This is a list of members of the International Olympic Committee. According to the Olympic Charter, the members of the IOC "represent and promote the interests of the IOC and of the Olympic Movement in their countries and in the organisations of ...
*List of 2009 all-decade Sports Illustrated awards and honors
This is a list of ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's all-decade awards and honors for 2000–2009.
Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade
Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade were:
#Tiger Woods (U.S.), golf
#Roger Federer (Switzerland), tennis
#Michae ...
*List of Russian people
This is a list of people associated with the modern Russia, Russian Federation, the Soviet Union, Imperial Russia, Russian Tsardom, the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Kievan Rus', and other predecessor states of Russia.
Regardless of ethnicity or emi ...
*List of Russian sportspeople
This is a list of notable sportspeople from the Russian Federation, Soviet Union, Russian Empire, and other Russian predecessor states, including ethnic Russians and people of other ethnicities. This list also includes those who were born in Russia ...
*List of people from Volgograd
This is a list of notable people who were born or have lived in Volgograd (1589–1925: Tsaritsyn, 1925–1961: Stalingrad), Russia.
Born in Volgograd
19th century
1801–1900
* Heinrich Wullschlägel (1805–1864), R ...
*List of sportswomen
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*Pole vault at the Olympics
The pole vault at the Summer Olympics is grouped among the four track and field jumping events held at the multi-sport event. The men's pole vault has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since the first Summer Olympics in 1896. The ...
*Pole vault at the World Championships in Athletics
The pole vault at the World Championships in Athletics has been contested by men since 1983 and women since 1999.
The List of World Championships in Athletics records, championship records for the event are 6.05 for men, set by Dmitri Markov in ...
References
External links
*
Flotrack.com Video Interview of Yelena Isinbayeva during the 100th Millrose Games
Yelena Isinbayeva at the Forbes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isinbayeva, Yelena
1982 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Volgograd
Russian female pole vaulters
International Olympic Committee members
Olympic female pole vaulters
Olympic athletes of Russia
Olympic gold medalists for Russia
Olympic bronze medalists for Russia
Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)
Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
World Athletics Championships athletes for Russia
World Athletics Championships medalists
World Athletics Championships winners
World Athletics Indoor Championships winners
World Athletics U20 Championships winners
World Youth Championships in Athletics winners
IAAF Continental Cup winners
European Athletics Championships winners
European Athletics Championships medalists
European Athletics Indoor Championships winners
Russian Athletics Championships winners
IAAF World Athletics Final winners
IAAF Golden League winners
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
World Athletics record holders
European Athlete of the Year winners
Laureus World Sports Awards winners
Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners
Tabasaran people