EVENT REPORT – WOMEN’s POLE VAULT Final

DOHA, March 14, 2010 – Unthinkingly, Yelena Isinbaeva is no longer a world champion. A relatively new face and an old one dethroned her in the Aspire Dome today. After losing her outdoor world title in Berlin, Isinbaeva now has only her Olympic title and her world records to console her.

Given she has two of the former and has set no fewer than 27 of the latter, Isinbaeva has a lot to fall back on, but for now she has to make way for Fabiana Murer of Brazil, a joint bronze medallist in Valencia but otherwise without a major global medal to her name, and an old foe in Svetlana Feofanova, who ruled the roost before Isinbaeva dethroned her in the 2004 Olympic final.

Murer won by doing an ‘Isi’, albeit at lower heights than those at which the world record holder usually operates. She came in at 4.50, cleared first time, then added first-time clearances at 4.60 and 4.70, taking a clean sheet into what would prove to be the decisive heights.

Feofanova did the same, though her first height was 4.40. This kept both ahead of outdoor world champion Anna Rogowska of Poland who needed all three tries at 4.60 and  two at 4.70 before going out at 4.75.

Cue further drama. Isinbaeva had come in at 4.60, seemingly putting her qualifying dramas behind her with a solid first-time clearance. But at 4.75, a height she has cleared countless times and one which would have put her into the lead, she missed once, missed twice and, stunningly, missed a third time. She gathered herself, departing with a smile and a wave but, for a second straight world title, without a medal.

Murer, too, was struggling at 75, taking all three attempts to get over, but then she produced a strong first-time clearance at 4.80 to cement her lead.

Feofanova, looking at winning her first world championship since the outdoor title in Paris in 2003, cleared 4.80 at the second attempt. The clearance left her in second, but forced Murer to vault again at 4.85 in case Feofanova was able to get ahead at the next height.

When neither woman could get the height, a delighted Murer was ahead on countback and a surprise world champion. Feofanova took the silver with Rogowska, the only other competitor to clear 4.70, taking bronze. Isinbaeva was fourth with her first-time clearance at 4.60.

The gold was Brazil’s first at an indoor titles since 1987 in Indianapolis (Jose Luiz Barbosa, 800 metres).

“This is a dream come true,” Murer said. “This is a dream come true. I do training camps with Isinbaeva and I learn a lot from her, her strength and how she trains.”

As Isinbaeva said before the championships, life teaches lessons. As for today, Isinbaeva said: “I really do not know what happened. Maybe I was too tired emotionally. This is sport, it sometimes happens.”