Isinbayeva soars to new high

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-13  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

RUSSIA'S world and Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva set a world record of 5.03 meters at Rome's Golden Gala on Friday.

The 26-year-old cleared the bar with ease to surpass the record of 5.01 she set at the 2005 Helsinki world championships.

Her nearest rival on Friday was Poland's Monica Pyrek, who vaulted 4.75.

The Russian had repeatedly tried to clear 5.02 over the past few seasons and decided with her new coach Vitaly Petrov that a switch to 5.03 might help psychologically.

"(Vitaly) said we have to change something," Isinbayeva said. "I was ready for a world record. My goal today was to beat the world record."

Isinbayeva was competing in her first outdoor meet this season, and the record stands as a sharp response before the Beijing Olympics to American pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski, who cleared 4.90 on May 18 and then 4.92 at the US trials earlier this month to move into second on the all-time list.

"Everybody was saying 'Ah OK, Isinbayeva is finished, we have a new star,"' Isinbayeva said. "So today I was really angry."

Isinbayeva has now set 12 world records outdoors and 10 indoors, and is the only woman to clear five meters. Her career goal is to eclipse Sergei Bubka's mark of 35 world records.

Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner edged LaShawn Merritt to win the 400 meters and strike a blow against his American rival ahead of next month's Games.

Wariner had a big lead in the final straight but had to hold off a strong late surge from Merritt to win in 44.36, just a hundredth of a second ahead of the 22-year-old.

Wariner gained revenge after losing to Merritt at the US Olympic trials and at the Berlin Golden League meeting in June although his dominance of the event clearly remains under threat.