By Kang Seung-woo
She was supposed to soar. But Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia on Tuesday crashed back to earth on her last attempt in the women’s pole vault final to finish sixth at the World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, Tuesday
The 29-year-old two-time world champion finished the competition clearing just 4.65 meters. She was sent packing while five others were still competing. Instead Brazilian Fabiana Murer vaulted 4.85 meters for the gold medal.
“I’m disappointed but I’m now focusing on next year’s Olympic Games,” said the two-time Olympic and double world champion.
“The pole was really soft. You saw how high I went for again. It was just a mistake.
“I’m trying to forget everything that happened here today and I’ll go to London with everything in my memory deleted.”
Germany’s Martina Strutz and Russia’s Svetlana Feofanova rounded out the podium places after clearing 4.80 meters and 4.75 meters, respectively.
Since the beginning of the 13th World Championships, the failure of favored athletes has been a daily occurrence, with Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Dayron Robles of Cuba disqualified in the men’s 100 meters and 110-meter hurdles.
Isinbayeva was looking to rebound after a 2009 World Championships flop in Berlin and offered a glimpse of her old form, clearing the first height of 4.65 meters in the final.
After deciding to pass at 4.70 meters, the Russian went under the bar at 4.75. But with her rivals clearing that height she nervously moved up to 4.80. She hit the bar on her next try and was never close to the bar on the final one.
With a second straight setback at world championships, her future is up in the air. But Isinbayeva denied that her rivals were better than her. “There’s still more to come,” she said. “My best is still 5.06m. 4.85? No.”
Isinayeva has set 27 world records and is the only female to clear 5 meters, while claiming nine titles at major events including the Olympics and world championships, along with a three-time athlete of the year selection in 2004, 2005 and 2008.
Since the track and field world championships in 2003, the pole vaulter had never lost until Berlin, where she unprecedentedly ended up no-heighting in the final.
In 2010, she continued in a slump, and took an 11-month break.
The determined Isinbayeva looked to find her record-setting rhythm by reuniting with her former coach, but she has never been close to her old form, with her season-best mark a modest 4.76 meters, the fourth highest in 2011.