Russia’s two-time Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva is targeting an international comeback this season after a series of setbacks last year.
The glamorous native of the Volga river city of Volgograd astonished the world and became Russia’s best known sportswoman by winning Olympic gold in Athens and Beijing and lifting the world record to well above five metres.
However, her aura of invincibility slipped when she failed to record a height in the final stage of the 2009 Berlin World Cham-pionships and only came fourth in last year’s world indoor championships in Doha.
She has not appeared in competition outside Russia or Ukraine since.
But Isinbayeva, who has only participated in five events in the last two years, told AFP that the 2011 World Championships in Daegu would be a springboard for the London Olympics and more world records.
“I want to win the 2011 world championships, the 2012 Olym-pics, and, of course, set more world records,” she said.
“I definitely aim to compete in Korea.”
Isinbayeva, 29, who has set 27 world records in her career so far, added she was preparing to gain revenge for her defeat in the pole vault at the previous world championships in Berlin, which was won by Anna Rogowska, of Poland.
Her coach Yevgeny Trofimov told AFP that his star pupil had decided to compete at the KBC Night of Athletics in Belgium on July 16.
“Together with Yelena and her new manager we decided Belgium would be a good place to see what condition she is in,” Trofimov said.
“We came to the conclusion that the date and the venue are suitable for her return to competition.”
Trofimov added that Isinbayeva had experienced trouble with her left Achilles tendon but refused any other comments on her current form.
After her failure at the indoor world championships in Doha, Isinbayeva took a break and went back to Trofimov, her first coach.
She returned to competition in February, winning two indoor events in Moscow and Donetsk, Ukraine, where she produced a season’s best of 4.85 metres.
Isinbayeva then withdrew from competition again, although she kept a high profile in Russia, appearing in commercials for women’s cosmetics.