News21 Sep 2007


World Athletics Final press conference quotes

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Blanka Vlasic (l), Yelena Isinbayeva (c) and Jana Rawlinson at the pre-meet press conference in Stuttgart (© Getty Images)

The IAAF Press Conference on the eve of the 5th IAAF / VTB Bank World Athletics Final was held today at Gottlieb Daimler Stadium.

In attendance were IAAF General Secretary Pierre Weiss, and Dr. Wolfgang Schuster, Lord Mayor of the City of Stuttgart.

The athletes in attendance were: Jana Rawlinson (AUS), the World champion in the 400m Hurdles; Blanka Vlasic (CRO), the World champion in the High Jump; and Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS), the World Champion in the Pole Vault.

Jana Rawlinson -

On her return to competition after giving birth to her son, Cornelis, last December:

It certainly has changed the perspective on what you want from life but it hasn’t changed your goals in terms as an athlete. In many respects it’s wonderful to be able to put them along side each other.

On her performances this season despite missing key early-season training:

I’m a little bit unpredictable this year because I’ve spent nine months not hurdling and then unfortunately, right after the baby, I was injured for 10 weeks, which happens to a lot of athletes. So we certainly missed a good base period. But realistically, my coach Chris, who’s also my husband, was able to get us there on the day at the World championships and leading up to it. So I think if I can work on the last 100m, and just be a little bit more comfortable, it’ll be good.

On her most recent races, the flat 400m in Berlin, where she was a distant 8th in 52.49, and in Warsaw on Wednesday, where she won the 400m Hurdles in 54.55:

I was very embarrassed, obviously in Berlin, because being a 400 hurdler, you expect to be able to run a very good flat 400. I did win the World juniors in the 400 some seven years ago so I didn’t expect to run 52.7, which was slower than I ran then, and I’m 24 now. It was a little bit embarrassing, but I made the decision to go home after the World championships to visit my son, so I spent 10 days in Australia, and with the jet lag was suffering a little bit. But I wouldn’t change the decision, though probably I shouldn’t have run. So we decided to go to Poland and I ran half decent there, so I should be fine for this weekend.

Blanka Vlasic -

On her consistency this season, having won 16 of her 17 competitions, while raising her personal best and national record first to 2.04, then 2.05, 2.06 and 2.07:

Nothing has really changed (since last season). I just went one step higher than last year. It’s the normal way in the career of a sportsman. Also in past years I’ve been jumping high and consistently so if you just improve a little, it brings you this kind of year. Nothing is different. I was training very good in the winter and spring. And the most important thing is that I had no injuries, no breaks in the programme.

Then when you start the season with 2.04 like I did in Doha, you get more self confidence, and just step by step you just get there.

On trying 2.06 in Berlin instead of 2.10:

After Brussels I knew it would be very hard to jump high again. And after I won with two metres, first, I knew it would be very hard to go to 2.10 immediately. That difference was too much. And secondly I was a little tired. So I decided to first go for the stadium record, which was 2.05.

She’s made 21 attempts at a World record 2.10 (The World record of 2.09 was set by Stefka Kostadinova in 1987). When will the World record come?

I don’t know when I will jump it. I think I had some good attempts this season. But I’m just enjoying trying to jump it. And eventually I think it will happen. For a World record you need a perfect jump, perfect conditions, everything needs to be perfect. I’m just waiting for that. I’m very patient about it.

I’ve done everything I’ve expected for this year. It’s one of the goals definitely, I’m very patient. I’m still following my path, my direction, and I hope for the best. I’m sure it will happen. I don’t know why, and when. But I can feel it.  It’s very hard to tell, whether it will be this year, or next year, or in two years. The most important thing is that I’m here, I’m ready, and I will probably be ready next year if I stay healthy.

On being asked when she’ll break the World record:

It doesn’t bother me. Actually it’s very nice to be asked, ‘when are you going to break the world record’ because that means you actually can do it.

Yelena Isinbayeva -

Does she need an intermediate height after winning a competition before attempting a World record:

When I feel comfortable, and strong, sometimes I don’t need an extra height between my victory and a record attempt. But sometimes it’s necessary to take the right pole, to feel again the conditions of the runway, or to take a trial attempt before jumping for a World record.

But I’m happy that now with Blanka you can see that it is not easy. That everything has to be perfect.

On technical changes required when changing poles:

I think that yes, of course, now it’s a big difference between my jumps in 2005 and 2007 and also 2006, but now my technique is getting better and I’m feeling more confident but I’m still not technical enough. We are, together with (coach) Vitaly (Petrov) , working in that direction and we will try again here in Stuttgart.

But I feel that it is coming. I don’t know when or where, but it’s coming. I hope that maybe next year, in an Olympic year, that it will happen, maybe three, five or six times.

On the World record (currently her 5.01 from Helsinki in 2005) being her major motivation:

That’s my huge motivation. And also journalists push me because every time they ask, ‘Yelena, when will it happen? la la la..’ And that motivates me. That mean’s that they believe in me and still want to see something sensational. And that supports me to be honest. Thanks, all of you, for that!

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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