Yelena Isinbayeva

About Yelena Isinbayeva

Born on June 3, 1982, Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva, a Russian former pole vaulter, is widely celebrated as the preeminent female pole vaulter in history. Her remarkable career is highlighted by two Olympic gold medals, secured in 2004 and 2008, and three World Championship titles in 2005, 2007, and 2013. She holds the current world record in the pole vault.

Isinbayeva's bid for a final Olympic gold in Rio in 2016 was prevented by a ban, a consequence of an independent report detailing a state-sponsored doping program in Russia. She concluded her athletic career in August 2016, following her election to an eight-year tenure on the IOC's Athletes' Commission. Her extensive list of major titles includes nine occasions as an Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion, and European outdoor and indoor champion. She also triumphed in the IAAF Golden League series in 2007 and 2009.

After facing setbacks at the world championships in 2009 and 2010, Isinbayeva took a year away from the sport. A significant milestone in her career was becoming the first woman to surpass the five-meter mark in 2005. Her outdoor world record stands at 5.06 meters, achieved in Zurich in August 2009. Her indoor record of 5.01 meters, which stood for just over a year, was her twenty-eighth world record in pole vaulting. In 2013, Jenn Suhr matched Isinbayeva by clearing five meters, taking her indoor world record in the process.

Recognized for her extraordinary achievements, Isinbayeva was named IAAF Female Athlete of the Year in 2004, 2005, and 2008. Laureus honored her as World Sportswoman of the Year in 2007 and 2009. In 2007, she was inducted into the FICTS "Hall of Fame" and received the "Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur." The Prince of Asturias Award for Sports was bestowed upon her in 2009. She is among a select group of nine athletes to have achieved world championships across youth, junior, and senior levels in their discipline. As of December 2023, her Instagram following reaches 235,000.