Norwich Grand Prix to be a Battle!

[rainbowgirl28]

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/041228/4/87b1.html

Olympic Battle Comes To Brum
Tue 28 Dec, 12:09 PM



Olympic gold and silver medallists Yelena Isinbayeva and Svetlana Feofanova are set to renew their intense pole vault rivalry in next year's Norwich Union Grand Prix.

Isinbayeva has definitely confirmed her participation at the meeting in Birmingham on February 18 and her fellow Russian is expected to follow suit.

The pair's tussle for Olympic glory in Athens last August saw Isinbayeva soar to a world record height of four metres 91 centimetres.

Isinbayeva, 22, has now set a remarkable 10 world records in the pole vault, with the cumulative bonuses for each, making her one of the world's richest athletes.

Three of those records have come on British soil and the 22-year-old has pledged to target the current mark of 4.92m, which she set in Brussels this year.

Isinbayeva said: "Everybody knows how much I enjoy competing in Britain. I always seem to break records there, or at least come very close.

"As Olympic champion there will be more attention on me this year, but hopefully I can respond to that pressure with another record in Birmingham."

Isinbayeva joins a number of other Olympic winners in Birmingham including Kelly Holmes, heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft and 10,000m gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/4129581.stm

Isinbayeva heads for Birmingham

Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva has confirmed she will take part in the 2005 Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February.

"Everybody knows how much I enjoy competing in Britain. I always seem to break records there," said Isinbayeva.

"As Olympic champion there will be more attention on me this year, but hopefully I can respond with another record in Birmingham."

Kelly Holmes and Carolina Kluft are among other Athens winners competing.

The organisers are hoping that Isinbayeva's main rival, fellow Russian Svetlana Feofanova, will also take part in the event.

The pair had a thrilling battle in Athens which ended with Isinbayeva finally jumping a world record of 4.91m to claim the gold medal.

Isinbayeva, 22, has set 10 world records in the pole vault, three of which have come on British soil.