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|  World Indoor Record for Isinbayeva in Donetsk By Bob Ramsak February 12, 2005 Courtesy of Track Profile Report
Donetesk, Ukraine - Yelena Isinbayeva made her 2005 debut
an auspicious one, setting a new World Indoor Record of 4.87 to
highlight the high-charged and thoroughly entertaining Zepter Pole
Vault Stars Meeting in this southeast Ukrainian city. Picking up virtually where she left off late last summer, the Olympic
champion and 2004 Athlete of the Year added a centimeter to the indoor
standard she set last March when she leaped to the World Indoor title in
Budapest. The 22-year-old Russian took just five jumps during the
competition, with her sizable clearances at 4.50, 4.70 and 4.75 clearly
indicating that a record at the sold-out Druzhba Auditorium was all but
certain. After a first attempt run-through, Isinbayeva rocked steadily to
the blaring beat of her chosen jump song, before storming down the
runway before her seemingly effortless leap, again clearing with several
centimeters to spare. "Thank you so much," she told the wildly enthusiastic crowd of more
than 4000 after the competition. "That record was for you." Her effort was
rewarded with a shiny metallic-colored Skoda Otavia V that was
unveiled prior to the competition. So eager to get behind the wheel of
her new car, Isinbayeva skipped the post-meet press conference
formalities, hoping instead to just drive away. It was the second consecutive year that Isinbayeva established a new
record at the Donetsk competition, the year,s premiere indoor gathering
of pole vault talent. Last year she scaled 4.81 and 4.83 with first-attempt
clearances. Behind Isinbayeva, Anna Rogowska and Monica Pyrek continued their
battle for Polish supremacy in the event, with Rogowska, the 23-year-old
Olympic bronze medallist, again finishing ahead. Besides an early miss
at 4.40, Rogowska was perfect through 4.70, before scaling 4.75 in her
second attempt, setting her third national record in as many weeks to
finish second behind Isinbayeva. With a third-attempt clearance of 4.70,
Pyrek too jumped to a new personal best, finishing third. Young German
Caroline Hingst and Russian Tatyana Polnova tied for fourth, topping
out at 4.60. For Hingst, it was a huge improvement indoors, adding 30
centimeters to her previous personal best. Natalya Belinskaya, another
vaulter from Russia,s vast pool of talent, was sixth, beating 2000
Olympic champion Stacy Dragila on the countback. Each managed 4.50
clearances. Donetsk was the last meet of an abbreviated season for the
American, who jumped to victories earlier in Reno,s Pole Vault Summit
and last weekend,s Millrose Games. Olympic silver medallist Svetlana Feofanova opted out of the
competition, telling meet organizer Sergey Bubka that she simply wasn,t
in form to compete in Donetsk. Three weeks ago the reigning World
Outdoor Champion jumped 4.53 in a competition in Bydgoszcz, Poland
in her only outing thus far this season. While taking a back seat to Isinbayeva,s record-setting antics, the men,s
competition was fiercely contested, with American Derek Miles turning in
a minor upset to win after a first attempt clearance of 5.85. It was a
personal best and world-leading effort for the 32-year-old, adding three
centimeters to his previous best set three years ago. "This is the third time I,ve come here, and this is obviously the highest
I,ve ever jumped in my life," said Miles, who called his win here the
finest of his career. "And to do that here with the crowd and the
excitement was just an amazing experience." After a season-opening 5.60 effort at the Pole Vault summit in Reno,
Miles followed up with a win at the Millrose Games last weekend,
jumping 5.70. Two of his three jumps at 5.90 were reasonably close,
signaling there may be more in the tank as Miles, season continues. Russian Igor Pavlov, fourth in Athens last year, was consistent here,
clearing 5.60, 5.70 and 5.80 on his first attempt to finish second, beating
back the challenge of Ukraine,s Denys Yurchenko, who topped out at
5.80 as well. In an effort to take the lead, the Ukrainian passed at 5.85
after his first miss, only to find 5.90 too daunting a task. American Brad Walker was fourth with a 5.70 leap, finishing ahead of
Ruslan Yeremenko, who arrived in Donetsk as the world leader after his
5.84 PB win in Stuttgart two weeks ago. The Ukrainian had only one
successful leap, his first-attempt effort at 5.60. Passing at 5.70, he was
knocked out at 5.80. Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson was a
distant eighth, clearing jut 5.50 before bowing out at 5.70. "Some days you have it, some days your don't," said the animated
Stevenson. Nursing a minor injury, defending champion Giuseppe Gibilisco was
never a factor in his first competition of the year. The reigning world
champion and Olympic bronze medallist couldn,t manage better than
his opening 5.40 effort. Throughout the competition, the Italian record
holder was grimacing after each jump, reacting to a pain just above his
right knee. With the men,s and women,s event held simultaneously, the action was
non-stop, the atmosphere high-charged and festive. Treated to a
breathtaking pre-meet performance by dozens of colorfully attired folk
dancers, the crowd,s enthusiasm never waned as the competition got
underway. With a light show as a backdrop, the loud, high-powered
music energized the spectators, leaving the two dozen competitors here
unanimous in their review of the meeting, this weekend celebrating it,s
16th edition. "This is probably the best crowd I,ve ever competed in front of," Dragila
said, echoing her fellow-competitors sentiments. MEN 1. Derek Miles, USA, 5.85, World leader, personal best WOMEN 1. Yelena Isinbayeva, RUS, 4.87, World Indoor Record
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