Posted by Monte-Carlo, Monaco – Olympic Pole Vault Champion Yelena Isinbayeva met with the media at the Fairmont Hotel in Monaco on the eve of the World Athletics Gala.
Isinbayeva (RUS), 2009 co-winner of the $1 million Golden League Jackpot, 5.06m World record, World Athletics Final winner
On what she learned from her disappointing showing at the World championships where she failed to clear a height -
(Looking back on it) I was happy that it happened in Berlin. Now I’m stronger mentally. I can say I’m stronger and more motivated because I have to prove again who is the world champion because I’m now the ex-world champion and this I don’t like.
It has also given me some extra power for the future because I know that deep down there is a reserve that I haven’t touched as yet.
He (my coach) said that I was a little absent during the World championships. There were many other things on my mind besides the pole vault.
On following up her no-height at the World championships with a 5.06m World record in Zurich, the 27th of her career -
First it proved that what happened in Berlin was just an accident, it was a good lesson for me. This showed the world that I’m still here, that I’m still at the top and still the strongest. I expected to break another world record but I didn’t think that it would come so soon after Berlin but I was very focused and I was patient to prove again who I am and to feel again these victorious feelings, these world record feelings.
On approaching Sergey Bubka’s mark of 35 world records -
There are nine more remaining, and I’m really patient. It could be something special to get 36. I’m sure that no ne after me will repeat it. Nowhere.
On her plans for the indoor season, including the World indoor Championships in Doha –
My first competition will be the Russian Winter in Moscow (07-Feb), it will be the first time I’ll perform in front of a home crowd, indoors for a very long time. Then I’ll have a break and compete in the Pole Vault Stars meeting in Donetsk (Ukraine) and then the World Indoor Championships in Doha.
We decided to have a short competition schedule indoors so I can recover better because this year was hard for me and the plan is to stay fresh for each competition.
I want to prove again (that I am the best), and I want to fight again. I don’t want to be relaxed. I’m afraid that if I passed the World Indoor championships that I could lose that competitive feeling.
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