Yelena Isinbayeva’s indomitable competitive spark ignited the World Athletics Championships on Tuesday, Russia’s track and field heroine claiming a third world title amid exultant scenes.
The 31-year-old had not won a global championship since claiming gold in the Beijing Olympics, although she did set a new world record of 5.06 metres in 2009 and claimed a bronze at last year’s London Olympics.
But Isinbayeva shouldered the expectations of a demanding nation and put any concerns over her form firmly to bed in front of a raucous capacity crowd at the Luzhniki Stadium, something not even afforded Jamaican Usain Bolt who won the 100m in front of a disappointing crowd on Sunday. She eventually won the competition with a best of 4.89m — American Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr claiming silver on countback from Cuban Yarisley Silva — and brazenly went on to lap up the noisy attention by enjoying three attempts at what would have been a new world record at 5.07m.
It was the second gold of the day for Russia after Olympic champion Elena Lashmanova earlier claimed victory in the women’s 20km walk.
American Lashawn Merritt, later, turned on the afterburners to regain the 400m world title he last won in 2009 with a 43.74sec ahead of compatriot Tony McQuay (44.40sec), with Luquelin Santos of the Dominican Republic third (44.52sec).