Russia’s Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record in the women’s pole vault in front of a sparse crowd in a Super Grand Prix meeting in Gateshead on Sunday. The 21-year-old’s mark of 4.82 metres exceeded American Stacy Dragila’s 4.81 metres set in California in June 2001.Isinbayeva, who collected a cheque for $50,000, has been on top form and set a world leading mark of 4.73 metres in Poznan, Poland just over two weeks ago.She told the IAAF website: “This was not unexpected because I have been jumping quite well in training sessions.“I was just waiting for the moment to come when this would happen. I have jumped 4.80 numerous times in training. Today was my moment,” said the world indoor silver medallist. “As I came up to jump I was thinking this is not a world record jump, it’s just one of those jumps I do in training everyday. It’s only 4.82, I have done that many times before (in training). Just go for it without any worries.”She had opened at 4.30 metres and progressed through 4.44, 4.54, 4.64 and 4.74, needing two attempts at all those heights except the first and the third. By the time she attempted the world record mark, most of the 10,000 crowd had gone home. The bar wobbled for a few seconds before Isinbayeva landed in triumph to the delight of a sparse crowd that had shrunk to about 1,000 for the last event of the night. Her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova, who holds the world indoor record of 4.80 metres set at the world championships in Birmingham in March, was second on Sunday with 4.54 metres.Earlier, Briton Dwain Chambers won the men’s 100 metres in controversial circumstances after rivals Kim Collins and Bernard Williams had already run the race once following a false start.After a short delay Chambers led a British clean sweep in 10.27 seconds followed by Lewis-Francis (10.35) and Darren Campbell (10.36). Williams and Collins faded towards the end to finish sixth and eighth.
