(Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia in the pole vault at the iaaf world championships Photo by Andy Parker/All Sports)

Isinbayeva raises World Indoor record in Donestsk
Sunday February 12, 2006

DONETSK, Ukraine - Russia's vaulting champion Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own indoor world record in the women's pole vault on Sunday, clearing 4.91m at the "Pole Vault Stars"  competition in Donetsk, Ukraine.

Making her season debut before a capacity crowd at the Sport Palace Druzba, the 23-year-old World and Olympic champion bettered her previous record of 4.90m, set at the European Indoor Championships in Madrid last year.

"It was my first competition of the year, so I did feel some pressure," Isinbayeva told IAAF website. "It was the first time competing without my old coach."

Isinbayeva, who parted with long-time coach Yevgeni Trofimov, and now trains under Vitaly Petrov, also holds the outdoor record at 5.01m, set at the world championships at Helsinki in August.

The record was the Russian's 19th world mark at the senior level.

Last season, Isinbayeva improved her own pole vault world records nine times - four indoor and five outdoor. In London in July, she became the first woman to clear five meters.

Isinbayeva revealed that she will compete at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham on Feb 18 and at the Gaz de France on March 3, before tackling the world at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow from March 10-12.

Monika Pyrek of Poland established a new national record when she finished second with a clearance of 4.76m, Anna Rogowska took third 4.61m. Russian Tatyana Polnova and Kelly Suttle of the U.S. were fourth and fifth, both cleared 4.51m to round off the top five.

"Pole Vault Stars" is an annual event organised by pole vault great Sergei Bubka.

Samantha Lopez - World-Track Sports Media