MOSCOW, December 18 (R-Sport) - Russian pole vault star Yelena Isinbayeva says she’s a contender for the gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, but only if the sport doesn’t reach new heights by then. The 31-year-old won her third world title in Moscow in August, beating reigning Olympic champion Jenn Suhr and London 2012 silver medalist Yarisley Silva. After the event, Isinbayeva announced a break in her career to build a family and said she may return for the 2016 Summer Olympics. “I want to compete in Rio and I’ll try to prepare myself,” said Isinbayeva, who jumped 4.89m for gold at Luzhniki, well below her world record of 5.06m. “But I’ll have to think if the level grows suddenly and everyone starts jumping five meters, although I don’t really believe in that. If everything stays as it is, 4.70, 4.80, then I’ll be there and I’m sure that I’ll win.” Isinbayeva made no comment on whether she intended to proceed with her plan of starting a family, saying only she is “not sure” whether she’ll try to defend her world title in Beijing in 2015. On Tuesday Isinbayeva won R-Sport’s Russian Athlete of the Year award after a triumphant return to athletics’ elite. “This season has become one of the best in recent years,” Isinbayeva told R-Sport. “This year, I had only one biggest victory at the world championships in Moscow, but I overcame so many difficulties on my way, so for now this is the most precious trophy. source
