Russia's pole vault queen, Yelena Isinbayeva, won her first major outdoor title in five years on August 13, capturing a fairy-tale world championship title on home soil in Moscow.
© RIA Novosti . Grigorii Sysoev / Go to the mediabankRussia's pole vault queen, Yelena Isinbayeva, won her first major outdoor title in five years on August 13, capturing a fairy-tale world championship title on home soil in Moscow.
Russia's pole vault queen, Yelena Isinbayeva, won her first major outdoor title in five years on August 13, capturing a fairy-tale world championship title on home soil in Moscow.
© RIA Novosti . Alexander Vilf / Go to the mediabankIsinbayeva, 31, smashed her season's best by 11 centimeters with a winning jump of 4.89 meters that elicited a deafening roar from a packed Luzhniki arena, leaving Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr with the silver after the American's best effort of 4.82.
Isinbayeva, 31, smashed her season's best by 11 centimeters with a winning jump of 4.89 meters that elicited a deafening roar from a packed Luzhniki arena, leaving Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr with the silver after the American's best effort of 4.82.
© RIA Novosti / Go to the mediabankThe last major outdoor title won by Isinbayeva, the setter of 28 world records, was her second Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The last major outdoor title won by Isinbayeva, the setter of 28 world records, was her second Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.
© RIA Novosti . Vladimir Astapkovich / Go to the mediabankIt is her third world title after gold medals in Helsinki in 2005 and Osaka in 2007.
It is her third world title after gold medals in Helsinki in 2005 and Osaka in 2007.
© RIA Novosti . Vitalii Belousov / Go to the mediabank"It's time for a time-out," Isinbayeva told Russian state television after taking her third world title. "But I want to try to come back for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics."
"It's time for a time-out," Isinbayeva told Russian state television after taking her third world title. "But I want to try to come back for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics."
© RIA Novosti . Grigorii Sysoev / Go to the mediabankThis in itself was already an improbable comeback: Isinbayeva had quit in 2010 after a series of poor performances only to return after rejoining her childhood coach, Evgeny Trofimov.
This in itself was already an improbable comeback: Isinbayeva had quit in 2010 after a series of poor performances only to return after rejoining her childhood coach, Evgeny Trofimov.
© RIA Novosti . Alexei Filippov / Go to the mediabankNow her goal is to eclipse that with a third Olympic gold in Rio at the age of 34 – all after starting a family.
Now her goal is to eclipse that with a third Olympic gold in Rio at the age of 34 – all after starting a family.