In Sport-Express, Yuri Yuris wrote:ISINBAEVA: A RECORD WITH AN INTERMEDIATE FINISH
On Tuesday after midnight, when in Moscow it was already a new day, at the “Super Grand Prix” tournament in Monte Carlo, Russia’s Yelena Isinbaeva raised the bar by yet another centimeter on her own world record: clearing on her third attempt at the height of 5.04!
Other than the prizes for the world record and victory in the prestigious competition, and also a “Seat” automobile – Isinbaeva has received no privileges for her update of the record at the “Stade Louis II”. In any case, her coach Vitaly Petrov was not going to cancel yesterday’s training session. Yet during the sportswoman’s warm-ups, Petrov did find time for a telephone conversation with the correspondent from “SE”.
- After two years of “silence” outdoors, it seems that Lena has broken through: a record three weeks ago in Rome and now in Monte Carlo… Her life has adjusted, Vitaly Afanasevich?
- In London, by the way, she also could have gotten a record - there the bar trembled and shook, but finally decided to fall. A breakthrough you say? For me the important thing is that Lena is finally, and I hope irrevocably, convinced that record flights are possible on the basis of her new technical training. In good physical condition and with the proper stability, it’s possible to master record heights.
- Is she satisfied with her performance?
- Absolutely. Perhaps a bit more tired than usual.
- Why?
- The head-wind in the sector was a problem, especially during warm-ups. Her run-up was normal, but her “entry” didn’t go well – the wind knocked around her pole. We hadn’t had such before. Fortunately the wind gradually subsided over the course of the competition.
- So Isinbaeva had to perform without a full warm-up?
- Practically, yes. Therefore, on her first attempt at the initial height of 4.71, her pole was too soft, and she had to change.
- Lena took only one height - 4.83 - on her first attempt. Two on her second, and the record - her third and final. Did she actually have to change poles each time? (The online scoresheet says she needed two shots at 4.83 as well – BF)
- No. We did it only three times: at the first height, the third and the record. On the final attempt at the 5.04 boundary, Lena didn’t want to change poles, but I insisted. The higher you jump, the harder the implement must be.
- On her second attempt at 5.04, Isinbaeva bent her pole so much that it seemed from the side insufficiently stiff…
- This was a technical error: crushing the pole too much. In this case it doesn’t add to the height, but on the contrary, it drops the vaulter.
- Once again, an intermediate height, which extends Isinbaeva’s customary competitive formula of “warm-up - victory – record”. Is this still a tactical novelty, like you told me in the interview a month ago?
- Quite so.
- What is its meaning?
- Let me explain. We feel it’s appropriate to bring the winning and record heights closer to each other. Otherwise there is too big a gap between them – twenty centimeters or even more. Take the last tournament in Monte Carlo. Lena was already guaranteed victory at 4.83. By our old tactics she should immediately go to 5.04. But the world record - this is, in many respects, the main event. And here, to not fall below Isinbaeva’s norm in any competition must now become the rule. She must prove her true superiority over her rivals in every start, without exception. Otherwise there’s somehow a sense of understatement, isn’t there? The “intermediate” jump at 4.93 immediately removed this feeling, even if it wasn’t a record.
- What do you think, is Isinbaeva capable of surpassing Sergei Bubka’s achievement of 35 world records established over his career both indoors and out? Lena herself says that this is almost the primary goal in her life…
- (Laughing) I have no such precise “arithmetic” goal. My task is to help Isinbaeva to reach her potential as fully as possible. We agreed that we’ll try to “jump” together until 2012 - the Olympics in London, and to set as many records as possible during this time. If I remember correctly, Bubka set his last record at the age of 30. So Lena has that much time remaining.
- But then, the time remaining until the Olympics in Beijing grows shorter every day like shagreen leather. Where and how are you going to spend these next two weeks?
- On August 2nd we depart for Japan, where we’ll conduct our final stages of preparation. On the 14th we arrive in Beijing, the 16th is qualifications for the women’s pole vault, and the 18th is the final.
- Aren’t world records on the threshold of the main quadrennial start an overly risky display of generosity, even on the part of such an outstanding sportswoman as Isinbaeva? Don’t you fear that she’ll use up too much emotion prematurely? And what about peak form, which must arrive on August 18th?
- I see no “display of generosity” in what happened in Rome and Monaco. Especially given that we started the season later than usual. Her peak form? For me it’s no problem for an athlete who is fully prepared to sustain it for three months. If Isinbaeva is “programmed” as I believe, for 5.10 - 5.15, then why can’t she jump 5.05 today? Records don’t drain Lena emotionally. On the contrary, this is her element. Not to mention that Isinbaeva is as much a fighter as you’ll find…
Yuri YURIS
Petrov sure isn't going along with Trofimov's assertion that she's abandoned the technical changes they've been instituting for the past couple of years (see viewtopic.php?f=31&t=15786).
I hadn’t caught onto it yesterday, but evidently Isi got a SEAT Ibiza as a bonus for breaking the world record. I don’t know if that’s instead of, or in addition to, a cash bonus. What does she do with all these cars? Anyhow, here’s the link: http://www.herculis.com/_herculis/hercu ... 8&idNews=1 (in French).
I manage to hit the AllSport, SovSport and Sport-Express websites on most days, but I don't often get around to scanning all the other sites where these things might pop up. So I usually have to wait until Google manages to find them for me.
