Yelena Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter who holds the women's world record in the pole vault. She began gymnastics at age 5 but switched to pole vaulting after being spotted by a coach at age 15. She won her first world championship in 1998 at the World Youth Games. Since then, she has set 27 pole vaulting world records, including clearing 5.06 meters, and has won Olympic medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012. She is considered one of the greatest pole vaulters of all time.

1. YELENA ISINBAYEVA
GADZHIEVNA
(BORN JUNE 3, 1982, IN VOLGOGRAD, USSR)

2. When Elena was five years old, and her younger sister Inna 4 years old,
parents sent them to a sports school, where they were engaged in
gymnastics. In 15 years, Lena dropped out of the Olympic Reserve
School as unpromising. Then her coach Alexander Lisovoy saw on
television speech pole vaulter, has shown ward coach Yevgeny
Trofimov athletes. Six months later, in 1998, Yelena Isinbayeva won the
World Youth Games in Moscow. It was the first victory in the list of its
subsequent world records

3. In 1999, she became the Junior World Championship, having won at the height of
4.10 meters.
In 2000, she again became the Junior World Championship with a score of 4.20
meters in the same year the pole vault women were included in the Olympic
program.
In 2001, with the result of 4.40 m Isinbayeva again was the first, this time at the
European Junior Championships. In the same year, Elena took part in the
International Festival in Berlin (ISTAF).

4. At the European Championships in 2002 in Munich, Elena was second
with a score of 4.55 m, giving way to another Russian Svetlana
Feofanova.
At the 2003 European Indoor Championships athletes under the age
of 23, she won the gold medal with a score of 4.65 m 13 July 2003 on
the athletics sports day in Gateskhede Elena has set a new world
record - 4.82 m at World Championships athletics 2003 in Paris, she
was considered the favorite, but became only the bronze medal, losing
to Svetlana Feofanova and a German Annika Becker.

5. July 30, 2008 at the next stage of the series Super Grand Prix in
Monaco Isinbayeva set another world record - 5.04 meters, exceeding
the previous one centimeter. Regarding his achievement athlete said :
"I live in Monaco. It was my first competition in their own stadium,
which could not motivate me “

6. August 28, 2009 on the fifth stage of the "Golden League" in Zurich has set the 27th world record
(5.06 meters).
April 10, 2010, after an unsuccessful performance at the World Championships in Athletics in
enclosed spaces in Doha, Helen decided to take a break in their careers for an indefinite period
In April 2010, Elena has been chosen by Ambassador Youth Olympiad in Singapore .
After you take a break in the press reported that Helen plans to return to the speeches at the
beginning of 2011, but officially this information is confirmed only December 1, 2010 - the official
website of the Athletics Federation of Russia, there is evidence that Helen will take part in the
"Russian Winter" .
February 6, 2011 at the tournament, "Russian Winter" after a year-long pause in his career, Yelena
Isinbayeva came into the sector and taking the height of 4,81 m, won the competition with the best
result of the season in the world . August 30, 2011, however, was left without a medal at the World
Championships in Athletics in Daegu South Korea.
February 23, 2012 at the Grand Prix of Stockholm set a new world record in the room - 5.01 pm
August 6, 2012 at the Olympic Games won a bronze medal, taking the height of 4.70 m
May 18, 2013 she won the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix with a score of 4.70 m

7. Awards
Order "For Services to the Fatherland» IV Degree (2 August 2009) - for
outstanding contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high
athletic achievements at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008.
The Order of Merit (18 February 2006) - for outstanding contribution to the
development of physical culture and sports, and high achievements in sports.
Medal of the Order "For Services to the Motherland» II degree (13 August
2012) - for outstanding contribution to the development of physical culture and
sports, high athletic achievements at the XXX Olympic Games 2012 in London
(UK).
Prince of Asturias Award (October 2009) .
Honorary citizen of Donetsk (2006) .
January 31, 2010 Yelena Isinbayeva was named the best athlete of the decade
the magazine Track & Field News .
The best athlete in the world by the magazine Track & Field News in 2004 and
2005.
The best athlete in the world by the IAAF (2004, 2005, 2008).
Best Athlete of Europe in 2005 and 2008.
Fountain, named after her, is near the cinema "Height" in the Moscow area
Kuz'minki