Yelena Isinbayeva, the queen of pole vaulting is planning to retire in style with a final performance at the IAAF World Championships that commence tomorrow in Moscow. Yelena Isinbayeva’s appearance in Moscow was an event. What made the double Olympic champion miss a stage of the Diamond League in London and compete instead in the national championships, which she had missed for 11 years in a row? It was all so that she could try out the pole-vaulting area at Luzhniki, where the world athletics championships will start on Aug. 10. Isinbayeva walked away empty-handed from the previous two summer tournaments—in Berlin in 2009 and Daegu in 2011—destroying the myth of the unbeatable champion and record holder. Her failure at the winter world indoor championships in Doha in 2010 could be added to this list. Now, the Moscow competition is an attempt to finish her career in style. more at Russia Beyond The Headlines
