Yelena Isinbayeva Exorcises the Berlin Ghost With a 27th World Record

Sudeshna Banerjee by Analyst Written on August 28, 2009
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - AUGUST 28:  Yelena Isinbaeva of Russia celebrates after setting a new world record in the Womens Pole Vault during the IAAF Golden League Weltklasse Zurich meeting at the Stadion Letzigrund on August 28, 2009 in Zurich, Switzerland.  (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

The tears were back in her eyes, but this time they were accompanied by the euphoria of a victory—a victory that had seemed so distant, so very unattainable only last week.

Pole-vaulting queen Yelena Isinbayeva has managed to exorcise the Berlin ghost in style, and her tears only validated the fact that she was utterly desperate to prove herself after her Berlin debacle.

Yes folks, Isinbayeva is back with a bang in just one week and has let the Berlin catastrophe and the countless speculations about her form be put to rest.

For this was not just a moral victory achieved, but a thunderous resounding stamping of her dominance once more.

In front of a boisterous Zurich crowd, watching ardently whether she would be able to overcome the bar once more, the Russian soared to a height no female has ever dared to reach.

Yes indeed, a new world record it was!

At 5.06m, it was a never-before-seen achievement and most importantly, it was her 27th world record!

An ecstatic Isinbayeva leaped in joy and soaked in the revelry by running around the stadium in an immediate victory lap.

In some of the other results in Zurich, Usain Bolt looked very close to making the headlines but for shocking reasons this time.

The invincible Jamaican was staring at his first defeat in the 100m since July last year, but fortunately made up for his lackadaisical start by accelerating at the 15m near the finish line to finally win in 9.81 seconds.

Bolt, who admitted to being a little weary, then returned to the relay and produced a much more impressive performance to spear his country to the gold in 37.70 seconds.

Olympic and world champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia also produced a stunning race, clocking 12 minutes, 52.33 seconds in the 5,000m, which eventually turned out to be the fastest time set this year.

American Sanya Richards also lived up to her reputation at the Weltklasse Golden League. The world champion cruised to a fabulous victory in the women’s 400m in 48.94 seconds.

With these convincing performances, Isinbayeva, Bekele, and Richards now remain in the hunt for the lucrative $1 million US Golden League jackpot with the ultimate event to be staged in Brussels on Sept. 4.

 

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written on August 28, 2009 Game Recap


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