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Yelena Isinbayeva, considered as the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a three-time World Champion, the current world record holder. Here are some facts about the athlete:
- Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva is the first women athlete to cross the five meter barrier in the Pole vault in 2005.
- She was born on June 03, 1982 in Volgograd, Russia, the city famous for its resistance during World War II.
- Isinbayeva’s parents are Natalya Petrovna Isinbayeva and Gadzhi Gadzhiyevich Isinbayeva. Her mother is Russian from Vogograd and her father is Tabasaran. She has a sister named Inna.
- She was introduced to sports at early age of five, when she took to gymnastics and trained until the age of fifteen.
- As she was growing, was advised to take up pole vault due to her height. She was considered too tall for gymnastic. She is 1.74 meters (5 ft 8.5 in) tall and 65 kg (143lb) in weight .
- In 1998 ‘World Youth Games’ in Moscow, Russia as a 16 year old, Isinbayeva won her first major victory. She crossed the height of four meters.
- In 1999 when participation in ‘World Youth Championship,’ at Bydgoszcz, Poland, she won her second major victory. She cleared 4.10 meter to take Gold.
- On October 18, 2000, Isinbayeva again raised the mark to 4.20 meter in the 2000 ‘World Junior Championship’ at Santiago, Chile to take Gold.
- At the 2001 ‘European Athletics Junior Championship,’ Italy, Isinbayeva won the gold medal to set a championship record. Her mark of 4.40 meters was well clear of second placed Natalya Kushch, Ukraine by 0.25 meter.
- Within four years of taking to sport, she won her first senior championship medals. In the ‘2002 European Championship’ she won Silver Medal with the jump of 4.55 meters.
- In 2003 European Under-23 Championship, held at Poland, she won Gold Medal with the jump of 4.65 meters.
- She set her first world record on July 13, 2003 in the Gateshead meet at England. She cleared a height of 4.82 meters.
- In the ‘2003 World Championship’ as a current record holder, she failed to repeat her performance. She vaulted 4.65 m for a Bronze medal.
- In an indoor athletic meet at Donetsk, Ukraine Isinbayeva improved her personal best with a height of 4.83 meters. It was a new indoor world record.
- In the 2004 ‘IAAF World Indoor Championship’ at Budapest, Hungary, Isinbayeva set an overall record for both indoor and outdoor with a jump of 4.86 m. She beat Stacy Dragila of USA and Svetlana Feofanova of Russia, to gold medal.
- In a span of three months, Isinbayeva rewrote the record books three times. She set a new world record at ‘2004 Summer Olympics,’ Athens with a jump of 4.91 m.
- In the ‘Memorial Van Damme Athletic Meet’ in Brussels, Belgium she set her eighth world record for the season. Isinbayeva jumped 4.92 m to take the honors.
- As an Olympic and World Indoor champion, she was awarded the ‘IAAF World Athlete of the Year 2004.’
- Isinbayeva Charity Foundation has teamed up with Coca-Cola Russia to open modern recreational areas at orphanages in Russian regions for New Year 2016.
- Her prolific record breaking performance have earned her the name ‘Bubka in a Skirt’ from Russian sports writers.
- She has set target of 36 world records before retirement to better that of Sergey Bubka’s. She dropped coach Trofimov to train in Bubka’s vault centre in Donetsk, Ukraine.
- On July 22, 2005 in Crystal Palace, London, Isinbayeva created a history, to become the first women in the world to vault five meter.
- In ‘2005 World Athletic Championship’ at Helsinki, Finland, she broke her own record by clearing 5.01 meter to take gold medal.
- Her victory margin of 41 cm from second placed Monika Pyrek, Poland is the largest margin for any Olympic or World Championship.
- Isinbayeva is a commissioned officer in the Russian Army. She was promoted to the rank of Captain in August 2008.
- Isinbayeva’s long wait for ‘European Championship’ ended in 2006 at Gothenburg, when she won the gold medal with championship record of 4.80 meters.
- Isinbayeva was crowned ‘2006 Laureus World Sports Women of the Year.’
- She set her twentieth world record at Donetsk, Ukraine on February 10, 2007, when she cleared 4.93 meters for a new pole vault indoor record.
- Isinbayeva won all the competition she had competed in 2007, including seven in the ‘Golden League Meet.’ She shared the ‘IAAF Golden League Jackpot 2007’ with Sanya Richards of USA.
- Isinbayeva married athlete Nikita Petinov on December 12, 2014. They have a daughter Eva Petinova born on June 28, 2014.
- Isinbayeva won her third consecutive world indoor title with a world record jump of 4.95 m on February 16, 2008 in Donetsk, Ukraine.
- On July 11, 2008 in Rome’s Golden Gala Meet, Isinbayeva once again set world outdoor record. She jumped 5.03 meters.
- At the ‘2008 Summer Olympic s’ in Beijing Isinbayeva won the Gold Medal with a record jump of 5.05 m. She was selected as the ‘IAAF World Women Athlete of the Year’ for third the time.
- On February 15, 2009 Isinbayeva became the first women to clear 5 meter mark in an indoor meet. She achieved this feet at ‘Pole Vault Stars,’ Donetsk,Ukraine.
- Isinbayeva was awarded the ‘2009 Princess of Asturias Award’ for sports on September 02, 2009. The award is constituted by the heir to Spanish throne, Felipe, Prince of Asturias.
- After dominating the pole vault event for over eight years, Isinbayeva took break from sports, when she failed to finish in the medal bracket during the 2010 ‘IAAF Indoor Championship.’
- Isinbayeva is in support of her government’s anti –gay law in run up to next year’s Winter Olympics and criticized athletes who are in support of gays and lesbians.
- On March 2011, Isinbayeva decided to return home and train under her former coach Yevgeny Trofimov in Volgograd.
- During the ‘2012 Olympic Games’ Isinbayeva was of the view, that people of UK and Londoners were not aware of the games being held in their city.
- Her performance and technique came for praise from UK pole vault coach Steve Rippon. He feels she has a good run-up and jump matching that of male vaulters.
- Isinbayeva has Masters Degree from Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture.
- Isinbayeva was part of illustrious Russian delegates to Zurich, when Russia won the right to host 2018 ‘FIFA World Cup.’
- Isinbayeva is part of Monaco based ‘Peace and Sport’ an international organization promoting peace around the world through sports. She is one of the 54 members of ‘Champions for Peace Club’
- She is one of the nine athlete to have won world championship as a Youth, Junior and as a senior.
- Isinbayeva is planning to retire after ‘2016 Olympic Games’ to be held at Rio de Janeriro. She has set her sight on her third Olympic gold medal.
