The other distinctly world class

Yelena Isinbayeva is a machine which does not wear or tear; she has the enthusiasm of a child that does not know what pressure is. Her dream...

Yelena Isinbayeva is a machine which does not wear or tear; she has the enthusiasm of a child that does not know what pressure is.

Her dream as a teenager was to emulate the legendary Sergei Bubka who holds 35 world records to his name. Today, she wants to go one better than the Ukrainian and the king of pole vault pit believes she can. 8220;She has the ability to set many more records,8221; said Bubka

8220;I would like to overhaul his record number of world marks, in my own way. I am not hurrying things at the moment. It8217;s up to my coach Yevgene Trofimov,8221; Yelena said.

The 5.01 she measured yesterday brought her past the halfway point 8212; she has 18 records with most of them coming this season 8212; in her drive to match her icon in men8217;s pole vault. But as for the height she could soar, neither would set a target.

8220;For the moment, I am enjoying another world record and I don8217;t want to think beyond that. Maybe I will go to a night club and do a jig or two with friends in celebration,8221; said the Russian.

And the pole vault legend agrees with her. Talking to The Indian Express at a function to honour the world champion, he said, 8220;That8217;s good of her. If she thinks about the target she will not only limit herself and won8217;t see beyond a point.8221; Bubka feels she is a complete athlete, with a strong will power and determination to conquer the world.

8220;These are heady ingredients that she possesses and when she combines them with superb technique, she goes over the bar as smoothly as a pole vaulter possibly can.8221; Indeed, the Russian has the most astonishing technique of all competitors.

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She takes time in picking the right pole, marking it at the place she would feel comfortable to hold, the speed she generates to get the kick and lift, the final release of her body over the bar and as flat a landing as possible is all full of grace.

Does she copy Bubka8217;s technique? 8220;No. I have my own planning and thinking. I have different yardsticks for indoor meets and outdoor meets. If it8217;s centimeter by centimeter at the indoors, it could be more 8212; by five, six cms outdoors,8221; she said.

In reflecting on her gold medal last evening, she noted that 8220;becoming world champion was not a dream, but the target.8221;

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