Defending champion and world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva said in Osaka on Thursday that she will be unbeatable at the world championships here.
"I know that if I do my best, it's impossible for someone to beat me," she said. "The question now is only if I can keep improving. There's no chance for anybody. Sorry," she told the IAAF official website. "But that's the way it is."
The 25-year-old Russian, who made her world champion debut in 2003 by winning a bronze medal, has captured every major title she's battled for, including the Olympic title in 2004, global titles indoors in 2004 and 2006, and the world title in 2005.
"Of course I feel better if I have stronger rivals, that they want to win. Of course that motivates me so much," she said.
But besides recently minted U.S. record holder Jenn Stuczynski, who cleared 4.88 in June, only five other women have topped 4.70 this season, while Isinbayeva's world lead currently rests at 4.91.
"Before, when I had rivals like Svetlana Feofanova and Poland's Anna Rogowska, They were pushing me up. Now I try to push myself each time I compete. That is more difficult but I still enjoy the pole vault. It is my passion."
She's already set 20 world records, and predicted that it will take an effort of 5.16 or perhaps even 5.20 before she achieves her goal of surpassing vault legend Sergey Bubka's world record tally of 35.
But she hasn't raised her mark outdoors since her 5.01 leap at the last world championships in Helsinki two years ago, a situation due primarily, she said, to a change in coaches last year and key technical changes. Those changes, she assured, are coming along just fine.
"Everything is going good with my technique," she said. "Now I'm more confident with my jump. This year I'm starting to feel like I'm flying over, not jumping over. I'm confident."
"I look forward to jumping higher than before," she said. "Everything is fine now."
Source: Xinhua
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