Watching her every move like a hawk from his front row seat in the Luzhniki Stadium, Yefgeny Trofimov never lost faith that Yelena Isinbayeva could rise again. The white-haired and moustachioed coach was there when the Russian began her journey to pole vault greatness as a 15-year-old, and it was fitting that she ran to embrace Trofimov first after her “resurrection”. Isinbayeva, who has jumped higher than any female vaulter, secured a third world title in front of an ecstatic crowd on Tuesday, lighting up a world championships that has desperately needed a big-name homegrown winner. After announcing she would take a second break from a sport she has redefined with countless world records, Isinbayeva hailed Trofimov as the man behind her rejuvenation following a loss of form. “Before 2009, I’d never faced defeat. I’d never faced troubles or difficulties. Everything was easy to me, but since 2009 I’ve been very, very down,” she told reporters. more
