BEIJING - Pole vault tsarina Elena Isinbaeva on Monday evening cleared the new world record of 5.05 meters, winning her second Olympic gold medal almost with no efforts.
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Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia celebrates after breaking the world record during the women's pole vault final of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 18, 2008. Isinbayeva cleared 5.05 metres, beating the previous mark of 5.04 metres she had set last month, after taking gold in the event. [Agencies]
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With only two successful jumps, the defending Olympic gold medalist and world champion secured the gold. On the fifth attempt, she broke the Olympic record which was created by herself four years ago in Athens. The 26-year-old pole vaulter eventually overcame her 24th world record of 5.05 meters.
Isinbaeva said, "I was trying to do my best for the crowd. It makes me happy, so happy. I felt that I could not go out without the world record because of the support the crowd gave me. I remember my feelings from Athens and I wanted to feel that again."
Although she said everyone's confidence of her victory put a lot of pressure on her, the Russian jumper believed she would soon clear 5.10 meters.
"The sky is my only limit," she said. "Life would be boring without records to break so I want to continue on forever."
Isinbaeva murmured before each attempt, she decoded the murmuring, "Do it, do it, just do it. Just be confident, I'm OK."
"I'm just trying to find some motivation from inside," she said.
Isinbaeva's closest follower, Jennifer Stuczynski of the United States, who jumped over 4.80 meters, got the silver medal. The American's personal best in 2008 was 4.92 meters.
Another Russian Svetlana Feofanova, has long vaulted in Isinbaeva's shadow, finished third with 4.75 meters.
Stuczynski said, "To come to your first Olympics and get a medal, a silver nonetheless, is great. I'm comfortable with the silver medal. However, I jumped so many times and didn't take some time to have a rest. This is why I got tired and failed to achieve a better result."
Feofanova said, "I can really jump 4.80 (meters), but I had some problems and didn't manage it. I was stronger in Athens, physically. Here, I was lost mentally because my results were not as good."
Since taking home the Athens Olympic gold in 2004, Isinbaeva has dominated the pole vault jump, including two world record-breaking jumps in 2008 with 5.03 meters in Rome and then 5.04 meters in Monaco.
During her complete reigning in the field, she also added the gold medals from the 2005 and 2007 world championships and the 2006 European championships.