Russia's Isinbayeva nominated for female athlete of the year

MOSCOW, April 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's legendary Yelena Isinbayeva, who has broken the world pole vault record 26 times, has been nominated for world sportswoman of the year, a press release by the Laureus sports academy said on Thursday.

"Pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva competes with 5,000 & 10,000 metres double gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba for Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year," the Laureus official website said.

Isinbayeva, the reigning Olympic, world and European champion and the athlete of the year in 2004 and 2005, broke the pole vault world record three times in 2008 and defended her Olympic crown with a record breaking vault of 5.05m at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Isinbayeva stated last year she had no plans to retire in the next four years and her goal is to defend her Olympic title at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

"I plan to defend my champion title at the Olympics in London...Of course, I am planning to break 10-15 world records," said Isinbayeva.