Isi updates ...

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.onrunning.com/onrunning/news ... sp?id=3742

ISINBAYEVA TO CHASE BIG BONUS IN POLAND
Olympic and world champion Yelena Isinbayeva, if breaking her world pole vault at the Pedro Cup Indoor Jumping meeting in Poland, will receive a bonus of 50,000 Euros.
However organisers of the meeting in Bydgoszcz on February 14, have stipulated the Russian star must smash the ultimate height of five metres one centimetre which won her the 2005 World Outdoor title in Helsinki.

Isinbayeva, who prior to the meeting in Poland will also compete in New York and Donetsk, set her world indoor record of 4.91m at the latter meeting in the Ukraine, last February.

Also competing will be the host nation’s top stars Monika Pyrek and Anna Rogowska, plus former world record holder Svetlana Feofanova of Russia.

[BruceFlorman]

I guess this interview was posted on SovSport last Monday, but I didn’t find it until Friday, and I didn’t get around to finishing the full translation until this evening.

Yelena Isinbaeva’s Trainer Vitaly Petrov: Lena on a sled. Olympic pole vault champion preparing for season at ski resort

On the second of February, at the hundredth anniversary of the Millrose games in New York, the famous Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbaeva will open her 2007 season, where, in addition to the world championship in Japan, there await six stages of the "Golden League", which for the first time includes the women’s pole vault in the program.

We asked Yelena’s new trainer to describe how the preparation for these competitions is going. Vitaly Petrov, is a native of the Ukraine, but is already in his 17th year of living in Italy, in the small town of Formia in the southern Apennines.

FIRST BUBKA, THEN – "BUBKA IN A SKIRT"

What problem [literally “what cat”] passed between Isinbaeva and Yevgeny Trofimov at the end of 2005, after he’d been her full-time trainer (since the beginning of her career), and together with whom Lena became Olympic champion, world champion, and established 18 world records? Today even they cannot plainly explain it. But here the professional qualities of Yevgeny Vasilievich are not in question. The 23-year-old Volgograd sportswoman simply decided to drastically change her life – to change her place of residence, and together with it, her trainer. And since her selection of a new, so far temporary, residence permit falls on Monte Carlo, the “Italian” Petrov proved to be an almost ideal candidate for the role of her new teacher.

Further still, Vitaly Afanasevich is undoubtedly the number one aspirant to the title of the best pole vault trainer of all time and people. First he brought up the cosmic vaulter Sergey Bubka, to whom no on this planet as yet is equal. And now, through a twist of circumstance, he has come to be the guardian of the best pole vaulting woman in the world. A unique opportunity!

Our phone call found Petrov in the city of Aosta, in the north of Italy, where, together with his famous ward, he carries out this year’s first training camp.

CHANGING FLIGHT

- Vitaly Afanasevich, at one time, after involuntarily parting with Sergey Bubka, you experienced the same personal tragedy as has befallen Yevgeny Trofimov, who has lost his best student. In this regard, how did you feel about Isinbaeva’s request to work together?

- That again! How much can you chew over this theme? The woman did not simply show up and ask to train together: as much as this was a breaking for her, so it was for me. And indeed, why did I need it, since by agreeing I lose out in any event? Lena’s high clearances in the new season would undoubtedly be attributed to Trofimov's merit: jumping, so to speak, on her prior reserves. But failures would, no doubt, be attributed to me. There’s no need to guess.

Nevertheless I agreed to help this girl who, albeit voluntarily, was alone in a strange country, without a trainer. Whether correct or not, she sought another. Especially as she put a stop to all discussion about returning to Volgograd, to Trofimov, in categorical form: “If you refuse me, I’ll find a different trainer.”

- Did you have some worries when starting to work with her? Indeed, Isinbaeva is not just a talented vaulter, but world famous, the indisputable leader in this discipline.

- Well of course, as you noted, she is the prevailing sportswoman, who already knows her jumps well, how they feel. It was necessary to begin anew, to build upon something under herself, and wedge new training concepts into already established ideas about her own jumps. I said to her: “For starters, let’s try to work for a month – let’s see how it comes out.” Apparently it came out, [we have] compatible natures.

- Already you’ve been together more than a year. What has changed over this time in Isinbaeva’s technique?

- Some things I’ve been able to change, others thus far I have not, and must leave as they are. We are still in a testing period. From the very beginning of our work, I asked for one and a half to two years. It’s so important to put together all phases of the vault: a change in the run-up changes the take-off and consequently the flight. Does this mean her beloved revolution is lost? Thus it’s necessary to do everything accurately: change something only there, where the innovation is adapted.

To leave everything as it was, also wouldn’t suit me, because I have my vision, my plan, my system, which I’ve developed for years, and which, I hope, will help Lena to progress further.

- Nevertheless, in the last year only one world record came out, while in 2005 there were nine of them. What do you say in regard to this?

- She was very close to the record at the winter world championships in Moscow, but she didn’t yet have the stability necessary to use a more rigid pole. At the European championships in Göteborg too she had to try for a record, but the mixed rain and cold - it was necessary to leave the competition with a mark of 4.80. Everything was put together well in Brussels, but again the sharp temperature drop interfered.

On the whole, although she always wants to break the record every time, we didn’t place high expectations on last season, since it takes time to reach this standard again. Truly, such changes in one’s life don’t pass without leaving a trace.

OH ALREADY THESE GAMES!

- What brought about this training camp in Aosta?

- The major portion of her preparation we carry out in Formia. In the Olympic center there, where the Italian team trains, all conditions exist for doing valuable work, particularly for pole vaulting. Good housing conditions, quality nourishment, contemporary rest facilities... Yes even the local climate contributes to the good preparation. It’s warm. If you want to swim, Formia is located on the shore of the Mediterranean. If you want to work in the sand. And if you desire to ski – no problem: the mountains are right next-door, all within an hour’s drive from Formia.

But we didn’t come to Aosta because the ski trails are better here. In fact we’re not skiing at all – too much risk of injury. We’re limited to sleds. But mostly the local conditions are close approximations of the competition venues. They’ve recently constructed an excellent gymnastics hall in Aoste, with good vaulting pits. At our place in Formia it’s a little different: although the length of the runway is sufficient, the hall is somewhat tight.

- But the housing conditions, as you said, are very good there. Does Yelena live at the base?

- Yes, she has a 15-meter room with a bathroom and shower. There is small kitchen too, but she doesn’t cook there, since the center’s restaurant is completely sufficient for three meals a day.

- Who pays for all this?

- The All-Russian light-athletics federation.

- When, specifically, did you begin preparing for the coming season?

- On the twenty eighth of October, 2006. Lena spent Christmas in Italy, but New Years Day in Volgograd. She returned to Formia on the fourth of January, and we resumed training.

- Share your near-term plans with us.

- Initially we planned to limit all Yelena’s winter starts to a single week: to begin on the tenth of February in Donetsk at the “Pole Vault Stars” tournament and to finish on the seventeenth in Birmingham. But then the Millrose Games in New York “came up” unexpectedly, which begin February second. They’re extremely inconvenient for us and will undoubtedly disrupt our training schedule for the season (overseas flights, not to mention the acclimatization). But we can’t forego this competition since participation is specified by Isinbaeva’s individual sponsor contract with Adidas.

Concerning the summer, here everything is clear: the World Championships in Osaka and the “Golden League”. The league’s first stage is in the middle of June; therefore we reduced the winter season to the minimum, considering it as a reference period in her preparation for the summer competitions.

ISINBAYEVA WILL RETURN?

- When agreeing to work with Isinbaeva, did you sign a contract?

- No. Where would this contract exist, between I, a citizen of the Ukraine who lives in Italy, and Isinbaeva the Russian temporarily staying in Italy and Monaco?

- By the way, about Monaco. Did Yelena purchase an apartment there?

- No, she just rents. Why buy? In the first place, it’s a lot of money, to put it mildly. In the second place, it’s still unknown what her life will be like subsequently: maybe, after the end of her career she’ll want to return to Russia.

- Is she in Monte Carlo frequently?

- Fairly often, but without interrupting her training. Sometimes we visit there together.

- It’s said that Sergey Bubka is participating in the changes that occurred in Lena’s life. Does he help her?

- He tries as far as possible. But Sergey very rarely attends our training: Once per month; and then only part time, since as a big sports official he’s loaded down with social activities for the IAAF and IOC.

- In your group, as far as we know, besides Isinbaeva, there is the Pole Pyrek, the Brazilian Murer who took second place at the 2006 World Cup, the winner of the Junior World Championships from Argentina, the Belgian record holder ... In what language you do associate?

- In English, Russian, Italian, and we also connect in Spanish.

- Lena is already well oriented in Italian?

- She’s learning gradually, using textbooks, disks, direct contact. She’s doing pretty well already. Like all young people, she catches on to everything on the fly.

- In recent years Isinbaeva invariably set world records at Sergey Bubka’s traditional “Pole Vault Stars” tournament. What should we expect from her this time? And tell us in general, please, hand to your heart, do you foresee world records from her this year?

- And why work otherwise? We’ll do everything so the return of Isinbaeva, who trained her fans to expect the highest achievements, will take place.

Becca, I guess this answers your questions about why she’s competing in New York. I just hope she’s not too grouchy about the inconvenience of it all. ;-)

Edited to restore the text lost due to the old server's improper handling of non-ANSI text.

[rainbowgirl28]

I wonder how adidas snuck that into her contract.

[BruceFlorman]

From my own selfish perspective, the best part about Isi breaking world records is that she gets a lot more ink. It was a rough year for me last year.

ISINBAYEVA: EVER CLOSER TO BUBKA

The world record – 4.93, established by Yelena Isinbaeva on Saturday at the “Zepter – Pole Vault Stars” tournament in Donetsk, became the twentieth such mark (indoors and out) in her biography.

Yuri YURIS
from Donetsk

After her record attempt Isinbaeva burst into tears right in the pit. Her tears were completely understandable: for an entire year - since the last “Pole Vault Stars” tournament - the record heights didn’t submit to the holder of all existing titles in the sport, as she had carelessly trained the admirers of light athletics to expect. They submitted neither in winter nor summer. Even unkind words were whispered: that this whole adventure of hers was in vain - switching over to a new trainer, barely living in Russia now... In short, she cut herself off from her native soil - and here is the result.

- Vitaliy Petrov, with whom I spoke here, doesn’t feel that this last year without records was “lost” for you. You do share your trainer’s point of view of?

- Completely. And why should we need to consider unsuccessful, much less lost, a year in which I yielded only once, and convincingly won everything else? Furthermore, with a bit more favorable circumstances, record jumps could have come out. Like at the European Championships in Göteborg, where rain poured down at the most inappropriate moment and washed away all hope. Or at the tournament in Brussels, where the competitions dragged on so long that the stadium got too chilly...

- Have you and your trainer changed anything in your preparation for this season?

- We decided immediately, as soon as we began working together, that changes were needed. And we consistently follow our chosen course. Vitaliy Afanasevich proposed a qualitatively new character of movement in the different stages of my vault, especially with regard to my takeoff rhythm. All the details must be ground and polished, and then we must put them all together. And even “docking” these Petrovic characteristics* is not the last issue either. We continue to better understand each other both on the professional and the personal level. That, as a matter of fact, was confirmed by the outcome of the tournament in Donetsk. In the psychological plan for me this was a very crucial point: that it would not be said a full year had passed without record flights above the bar.

- After two unsuccessful attempts at 4.92, which was also record, did Petrov advise you to raise the bar one more centimeter?

- Yes. You saw yourself how at first everything was added easily and simply: I took 4.62, 4.72 and 4.82 without questions, on the first attempt. But 4.92, as if enchanted, in no way wanted to submit: and all last winter for some reason it desperately “kicked”, and a week ago at the tournament in New York, the same thing happened. History could be repeated in Donetsk: my first attempt appeared good, but I didn’t get past the bar, the second I brought down with my legs... And then Vitaliy Afanasevich said: “Lena, if the bar is so fussy at 4.92, then make it worse and add another centimeter.” I added, and immediately everything turned out!

- You mentioned the “Millrose Games” in New York, where you performed on February 2nd. I don’t recall this start in your original plans for the winter season. How it did appear?

- This year the “Millrose Games” celebrated their 100-year anniversary, and any athlete would consider it an honor to be invited to this athletics holiday. Furthermore, my contract with “Adidas” required me to perform on February 2nd in New York.

- Did the overseas flights there and back, the change of time zones, affect your competitive form?

- If it was influenced, then not too badly and only in one direction: I flew into America only two days prior to the competition, which, however, didn’t interfere with winning them. But I had four days of preparation before the “Pole Vault Stars” tournament in Donetsk. Thus I had no problems with acclimatization.

- Why did you change the musical backing for your jumps at the “Pole Vault Stars”? In recent years, I remember your flights here were accompanied by battle drums, from which our ear membranes were ready to break. But now, the sounds of lyric poetry performed by Dima Bilan.

- You won’t believe it, but up to now I still don’t know what country this drum duet “Safari” is from, which wound me up for my jumps in Donetsk last year and the year before. But now my preference returned to this popular song, which begins with the words “I know for sure, the impossible is possible,” for several reasons. First, I really enjoy Dima Bilan’s work. And secondly, I truly consider “the impossible is possible” to be my life’s motto, which coincides verbatim with the motto of my main sponsor – the “Adidas” company.

- Already you’ve come for the third year in a row to the “Pole Vault Stars” tournament, [I think it’s really her fourth year, isn’t it? –BF] and every time you leave Donetsk with a new world record. Is the runway greased with honey for you here?

- (Laughing.) It’s easy to slip on a ‘honey’ path and not even run as far as the pit. I simply feel very strongly about this start, and consider it one of the most important of the winter season. Even the famous “Millrose Games”, I used only as a warm-up before the “Pole Vault Stars”. In my opinion, in Sergey Bubka’s home town, where he’s conducted his tournament for the eighteenth time already, any pole vaulter can feel themselves at home. The Donetsk public adores the representatives of our sport, and we sincerely wish to pay them back with high flights above the bar. Furthermore, a pleasant surprise awaited me this time: My sister and her husband especially arrived from Volgograd. And by the way, for the first time they saw a world record with their own eyes.

- For which you were entrusted with a kilogram ingot of gold. What will you do with it?

- (Laughing.) I’ll put it in the bank and live a life of ease on the interest. But seriously, the point is not in the gold. My central objective, as I’ve said more than once, remains constant: to surpass the accomplishment of the great Bubka, who established 35 world records over his career, indoors and out. I already have 20 such jumps. Plus, I repeat, a solid conviction that “the impossible is possible.”

- When do you intend to finally overcome the 5-meter boundary indoors?

- In principle it could happen at any moment, and it will depend on my disposition regarding my fight with the bar.

- How many such Yelena Isinbaeva “moments” are still ahead in this winter season?

- Not too many. On February 14th I’ll compete in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz. Then on the 17th in Birmingham and the 23rd in Paris. And that’s all.

- Consequently you don’t intend to compete at the European Indoor Championships, which take place in Birmingham in early March?

- No. I want to close out my winter season earlier than usual so that more preparation time for the summer will remain. For the first time the women’s pole vault is included in the “Golden League” this year, where for serious success it’s necessary to “shoot” with no mistakes. In this multistage tournament the first start, on June15th, is especially important.

- The season’s primary start – the World Championships in Osaka – this is in your plans?

- Understand me. The summer World Championships - this, I can say, is holy. There I will not so much represent myself, but Russia.

* It’s interesting to translate words that she’s kind of making up herself. :-) I’ve translated “Petrovym kharakterov” as “Petrovic characteristics”, but it would probably be just as valid to use “Petrovish” or “Petrovist” or “Petrov-based”.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/9994434

The Biofiles: Yelena Isinbayeva


Feb. 13, 2007
By Scoop Malinowski
SPiN Columnist
Tell Scoop your opinion!



Status: 2004 Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter set a new indoor record on Saturday night in Donetsk, Ukraine with a jump of 4.93 meters. It was her 20th world record.

Height: 5-8½ Weight: 140

DOB: June 3, 1982; In: Volgograd, Russia


Hobbies/Interests: "Collecting small models of dolphins -- I have about 30 of them." (Getty Images)
Track and field inspiration: "When I started to pole vault, my example I tried to follow is Sergei Bubka."

Hobbies/interests: "Russian history. Travel. Other sports. Collecting small models of dolphins -- I have about 30 of them. I love everything to do with dolphins."

Favorite movie: "King Kong. The one when he's in New York."

Favorite TV show: "Actually, I watch TV so seldom, so I don't have a favorite TV show."

Musical tastes: "It depends on my mood, but I like Madonna so much. Some Italian music, because I live in Italy -- I train in Italy."

Favorite meal: "Chocolate [smiles]. For something real, it's risotto with mushrooms."

Favorite ice cream flavor: "I like so much. This ... I don't remember the name of it."

First job: "Jump! I jump."

First car: "BMW X3." Color? "Silver, and orange interior."

Early track memory: "When I won World Youth Games in 1998 in Moscow. It was only six months from when I started to do pole vault."

Pre-competition feeling: "I always focus for victory. And my mind says, Go forward. It's strong like this."

Greatest sports moment: "Olympic Games (2004 in Athens, set world record of 4.91 meters). And 5 meters (first female pole vaulter to clear that mark, July 22, 2005, in London)."

Most painful moment: "I think is 2003 when I lost (the) world championship in Paris. I came in third place."

Funny track memory: "In Brussels, Belgium, last year when I won. The people who support me there were a lot of kids. When I finish, all the kids want me to kiss them [smiles]."

Embarrassing track memory: "I think that maybe last year when I lost my competition in Stockholm. I made a mistake, thought it was easy competition. I felt nobody could jump with me, and I lost. I was without much mood. I was like training, not in competition."

Last vacation: "Argentina, last year."

Favorite athletes to watch: "I like to watch my colleagues. Triple jumper Tatyana Lebedeva. High jump: Kajsa Bergqvist. Men's pole vault: In general. I don't have favorite; I like all of them." Tennis? "I like Jonas Bjorkman, Max Mirnyi, Federer of course. I like to see how he plays." Boxing? "I saw one time when Vitali Klitschko was fighting on TV."

Childhood dream: "My dream was always to be the great sportswoman and Olympic champion." What sport? "I used to be a gymnast. I dreamed all my life of that."

People qualities most admired: "I like to see people happy and smile on their face. Open. I don't like jealous or liars, this kind of people."

[achtungpv]

Hobbies/interests: "Collecting small models of dolphins -- I have about 30 of them. I love everything to do with dolphins."

Is this the same as girls that collect unicorns or fairies? Run boys run, she's psycho!

[jumpbackin]

Hobbies/interests: "Collecting small models of dolphins -- I have about 30 of them. I love everything to do with dolphins."

Is this the same as girls that collect unicorns or fairies? Run boys run, she's psycho!

Ahh, finally an upside to being slow!

[BruceFlorman]

Like I said yesterday, the best part for me about Isi breaking a record is all the extra ink. This one doesn't add a whole lot to yesterday's story (and reveals a bit of carelessness on the author's part), but I haven't had much to post lately.

Bubka gilded Isinbaeva. The famous athlete gave an ingot of gold to the Russian as reward for her 20th world record

INTERNATIONAL “POLE VAULT STARS” TOURNAMENT

At the 18th international “Pole Vault Stars” tournament last Saturday in Donetsk, the 24-year-old Russian Yelena Isinbaeva, by clearing the bar at 4.93, exceeded by 2 cm her prior indoor world record, established last year at the same competition. This is the twentieth personal update for the famous sportswoman in the table of world achievements.

GOLD – ONE KILOGRAM, CHOCOLATE - FORTY!

13 men (including, by the way, Sergey Bubka’s nephew Aleksandr) and 10 women from 13 countries started in these competitions. But certainly, the main focus was riveted on Isinbaeva, who traditionally establishes a new world record here every year. Indeed it’s not without reason that she bears the title of Honorary Citizen of Donetsk.

Recall that in 2004 Yelena did this twice: after taking 4.81 “for a warm-up” (this was the second world record in her career and the first indoors), after several minutes she added 2 additional centimeters.

In 2005, already the Olympic Champion and 9-time world record-holder, Isinbaeva won the Donetsk tournament with a new indoor world record of 4.87. In 2006, after replacing her trainer, manager and place of residence, Yelena conquered the height of 4.91 in the already well-tested sector of the Donetsk “friendship” sport palace, which at that moment was 1 cm higher than her previous “winter” record, established on 6 March 2005 in Madrid.

And now here is yet another record, her twentieth overall and her fifth in Donetsk. By the way, over the entire history of this competition which began in 1990, the participants have bettered the world record eight times. Before Isinbaeva only the founder of Sergey Bubka’s tournament succeeded at this. In 1990 he jumped 6.05, in ’91 – 6.11 and in ’93 – 6.15. Feel, as the saying goes, the difference…

About that, the fact that the Polish woman in second place, Anna Rogowska, finished with a result of 4.72, speaks of how great Yelena’s advantage over her rivals is at this time.

The record fell on her third attempt. Twice she removed the bar at 4.92, then risked to raise it 1 cm higher, and this jump was successful. In the reward the promised kilogram ingot of pure gold was delivered from the local bank, which Sergey Bubka heads. To the question of why not a BMW automobile like last year, Sergey Nazarovich answered that they “wanted something new and original” and in confirmation of his words he also presented Isinbaeva 40 kg of chocolate.

“THIS IS NOT MY LAST RECORD OF THE SEASON”

Emotional to the point of tears even an hour after the awards ceremony ended, Yelena didn’t know what to do with the chocolate.

- It’s too heavy to take it home…

- And how will you manage the gold?

- I will leave it in the bank and I will receive interest.

- You performed all your jumps to Dima Bilan’s song "Everything impossible is possible". This was a special order?

- Yes. Bilan is my favorite singer, and in the morning before the competition I decided that I would perform to this song, and furthermore its title corresponded to my attitude.

- Did you think about the world record?

- Naturally. I always think about it when I arrive in Donetsk. A week ago I competed in New York at the Millrose games (Yelena won there with a new meet record of 4.82 - Ed.) and already there my legs felt that a jump of 4.91 must take place in Donetsk. I think that this is not my last record this year.

- What are your further plans for the winter season?

- To be honest, at the start of year Vitaliy Afanasevich Petrov and I wanted to make it as light as possible, but it didn’t quite work out that way. First the Millrose games appeared, in which I was obligated to compete by my personal contract with "Nike". [?!? I’m translating what the article says, but I doubt she really said “Nike” here, since her sponsor is Adidas – BF] Then I was invited to the tournament in Paris on 24 February in “Bersy”. I initially declined, but then thought it over: I will be in Paris anyway during these days; I have a photo-session scheduled there at the same time. But before France I’ll have other competitions Bydgoszcz Poland, which take place this week. But I will pass up the winter European Championship in Birmingham and begin the preparation for my summer season a fortnight earlier. There, first of all is the World Championships, and secondly, the “Golden League”, which includes the women’s pole vault in the program for the first time.

Edited to restore the text lost due to the old server's improper handling of non-ANSI text.

[rainbowgirl28]

40 kg of chocolate? dang...

[BruceFlorman]

40 kg of chocolate? dang...

Perhaps Mr. Bubka isn't quite as supportive of her drive for 36 WRs as she thinks he is.

BTW, there's supposed to be live scoring from Bydgoszcz at http://forsport.info/ starting pretty soon.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/break ... 353832.ece


Ireland's David Gillick has been named European Athlete of the Month for February.


Elsewhere, Yelena Isinbayeva has been named women's Athlete of the Month after setting the 20th pole vault world record of her career.



http://eng.rusathletics.com/nov/nov.php?ind=1618

Isinbayeva and Gillick are European Athletes of the Month - February 2007
13.03.2007, EAA

Russian pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva and Ireland's 400m star David Gillick have been voted the European Athletes of the Month for February.

24-year-old Isinbayeva set her 20th world pole vault record at the Sergey Bubka meeting known as the "Pole Vault Stars" in Donyetsk, Ukraine on February 10th with an incredible leap of 4.93m. The dominance of the Russian over her rivals can easily be seen by the fact that she leads the world rankings by a full 17cm over her nearest rival.

Her great aim is to better the number of world records set by her hero Sergey Bubka at 35 and considering Bubka was 38-years-old when he retired, the odds of this a firmly with Isinbayeva.

[BruceFlorman]

Isinbayeva comments on award of 2013 World Championships to Moscow

Tuesday 27 March 2007

Mombasa, Kenya - Folllowing this afternoon's announcement that the IAAF Council had decided that Moscow, Russia, will be the hosts of the 14th edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, 2013, World and Olympic champion Yelena Isinbayeva who made an emotional speech during this morning’s presentation welcomed the IAAF’s decision with the following words:

“I am happy that we have won the right to host the 2013 World Championships however I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in front of my home crowd as I have decided that my last World Championships will be in 2011.”

“We have a lot of athletes and a very strong athletics tradition in Russia and we are going to do our best to stage the best competition ever.”

“This morning I was very nervous when I had to make my speech in front of all the Council Members, probably the hardest thing I have ever done. But all I said was the truth and as it turns out they believed me.”

“I have made my mind and fixed my retirement but you can never know. Maybe by then I will still feel competitive and will decide to carry on for another year but right now I have decided to stop before 2013.”

“Whatever happens I will obviously support the Moscow World Championships, if I’m still famous by then and they want me to help them promote the Championships I will appreciate it and take on the challenge of developing our sport and pole vault even more.”

“I would like to congratulate Daegu for winning the 2011 World Championships, the mayor and all the people in the delegation. I am sure they will stage a very good championships. I competed there last year and they are very warm people and very strong in the promotional and advertising fields.”

“And they are lucky because they will have me competing in their home for my last World Championships!”