I will come back for Rio Olympics: Isinbayeva

Yelena Isinbaeva of Russia celebrates a jump in the Women’s pole vault final during Day Four of the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships Moscow 2013 at Luzhniki Stadium on August 13, 2013 in Moscow, Russia. (Getty Images)

Moscow, Aug 14 (IANS): Russian pole vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva has ruled out retirement for now and said she is just taking time off to start a family.

The remarks were made after Isinbayeva clinched the gold with a 4.89 metre leap at the Moscow Worlds on Tuesday, her best outdoor effort in four years, reports Xinhua.

“I am not retiring, I will just take a break to have a baby next year and then I will try to come back for Rio,” said the 31-year-old two-time Olympic champion, adding that if she is able to come back, she will be in Rio definitely, but if something goes wrong, she will officially announce her retirement.

Isinbayeva was quite satisfied with the atmosphere at the Luzhniki Stadium, saying that she won the game because she was at home. “It was my home stadium, my home crowd,” she said.

The fans provided Isinbayeva with far bigger cheers than even Usain Bolt received as she beat America’s Olympic champion Jennifer Suhr and Cuba’s world leading vaulter Yarisley Silva by 7 centimetres.

“Everyone was concentrating on me, that was really amazing. I want to make all my supporters happy and I am happy about the victory,” Isinbayeva said.

It was the first major title for Isinbayeva since she won at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and made a mockery of suggestions that her powers are waning.

Isinbayeva completely dominated the pole vault in the run up to Beijing Olympics, breaking the world record an incredible 28 times (13 indoor and 15 outdoor). Her current outdoor world record is 5.06 metres.