Moscow: Olympic champion and world pole vault record holder Yelena Isinbayeva will miss next month's European indoor athletics championships because of a virus infection, Russia coach Valentin Maslakov said on Thursday.
"Unfortunately she has caught a virus and decided against taking any risks," Maslakov told local media. "She got sick a week ago and has not had a single training session since."
Isinbayeva, 28, returned to competition after an 11-month break, winning a low-key indoor meeting in Moscow this month by clearing 4.81 metres. She improved on that performance in the following week, winning the Sergei Bubka invitational in Donetsk, Ukraine, with a season's best of 4.85.
"It's a big loss for our team as she was performing really well on her return but she wants to get totally healthy and then fully prepare for the world (outdoor) championships in Daegu," Maslakov said.
The Russian took a break to rediscover her love for the sport after failing to win a medal at last year's world indoor championships in Doha.
The European indoor championships will be held in Paris on March 4-6.