Yelena Isinbayeva

Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva (Russian: Елена Гаджиевна Исинбаева, ISO 9: Elena Gadžievna Isinbayeva) (born 3 June 1982) is a Russian pole vaulter. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004 and 2008), a five-time World Champion, and the current world record holder in the event. As a result of her accomplishments, she is widely considered the greatest female pole-vaulter of all time and is often compared to Sergey Bubka.

Isinbayeva has been a nine-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion). She was also the jackpot winner of the IAAF Golden League series in 2007 and 2009. After poor performances at world championships in 2009 and 2010, she took a year-long break from the sport.

She became the first woman to clear the five-metre barrier in 2005. Isinbayeva's current world records are 5.06 m outdoors, a record Isinbayeva set in Zurich in August 2009, and 5.00 m indoors, a record set in February 2009. The former was Isinbayeva's twenty-seventh pole vault world record.

Isinbayeva was named Female Athlete of the Year by the IAAF in 2004, 2005 and 2008, and World Sportswoman of the Year by Laureus in 2007 and 2009. She was given the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2009

2005, top UK pole vault coach Steve Rippon said to the BBC that "she [Isinbayeva] is one of the few female pole vaulters I look at and think her technique is as good as the men's. In fact, the second part of her jump is probably better than any male pole vaulter currently competing. She has a fantastic technique, she's quite tall (almost 5ft 9in) and she runs extremely well."

Personal information
Full name : Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva
Nationality : Russia
Date of birth : 3 June 1982
Place of birth : Volgograd, then Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height : 5 ft 8.5 in (1.74 m)
Weight : 65 kg (140 lb)
Sport
Country : Russia
Sport : Track and field athletics
Event(s) : Pole vault