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Feature: Isinbayeva emulates Bubka
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-07-29 11:40

Her pole vault coach Yevgeny Trofimov started her new life, a career which has brought Isinbayeva fame and is gathering her a fortune, by asking if she knew who Bubka was.

"I answered 'no, who is she?' I didn't know anything about the pole vault, about Bubka, or even how to do it," she recalled in an interview last year.

Soon Isinbayeva knew not only what sex Bubka was but also everything about his vaulting technique, watching videos daily and studying text books.

"My coach taught me to jump like Bubka. From the beginning he would say 'you have to jump like Bubka'."

After an initial jump of 2.80, Isinbayeva quickly improved, winning the 1999 world youth title. By 2001 she was the world junior record holder and two years ago she took the bronze medal at the Paris world championships. Her first world record was set in Gateshead, England, that year, a leap of 4.82 metres.

The next target is a world title in Helsinki next month, to add to her Olympic and world indoor titles.

Isinbayeva has already made an attempt on her world mark, failing at 5.01 in Stockholm last Tuesday but still collecting a one-carat diamond for breaking the stadium record.

"It was my dream to be the first woman over five metres," said Isinbayeva. "Now I would like to have 36 world records. It's my new goal."


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