Isinbayeva vows to take world record higher

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Pole-vault queen vows to take world record higher
By Jerome Rasetti – 1 day ago
BERLIN (AFP) — Russia's pole-vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva said Saturday she aims to break her own world record several times this season and win her share of the one-million-dollar Golden League jackpot.
With the World Athletics Championships to be held at Berlin's Olympic Stadium in August, the high-flying Russian is in the German capital to compete in Sunday's opening Golden League meet of the season.
The challenge for the athletes who start any of the 10 jackpot events is to win at all six Golden League meetings to claim a share of the pot and the Russian says she is going for gold this season - both medals and cash.
The 27-year-old has so far set 26 world records, won two Olympic titles and two world crowns, but a new deal with Chinese sportswear firm Li-Ning has given her a new lease of life and she aims to soar this year.
"My objective is to break my record two or three times this season," she said in Berlin on Saturday.
"I want to win here on Sunday and win the jackpot at the end of the season.
"5.05m is not my limit, people never stop improving and so do my rivals.
"They never stop training, they always improve.
"I never count on the fact that I have no rivals, but I would like them to be stronger.
"It is more motivating and it keeps me motivated, instead of competing against myself all the time."
Having set the world record of 5.05m at last August's Beijing Olympics, Isinbayeva says her motivation was waning until her new sponsorship deal came along.
"Every year it gets harder and harder, because the training is so difficult, you need to keep pushing yourself and I am getting older," said the Russian pin-up.
"But my motivation is my new contract with Li-Ning until 2013, the Chinese people treat me like a queen and I like that very much, I want to keep that.
"Before the Olympics, I was thinking that if I won gold and everything happened the way I wanted that I would retire maybe a year after, because maybe I will have a baby or maybe I will marry.
"But then when I signed my new contract with Li-Ning, I change my mind.
"I want to do my best for the next five years, it keeps me motivated, it makes my sporting career longer than I thought - the contract has given me a new wind."
But when it comes to how high she can fly, Isinbayeva says she has no real idea of her true potential.
"I don't want to put a limit on it, I don't know how high I can jump," she admitted.
"My coach says I can jump 5.20m or even 5.30m.
"Only God knows how high I can jump.
"There is a huge pressure, I am not a machine, I always try to do my best, I like the fact that the fans expect something from me.
"Usually I start the season in July and I reach my best shape in July, I am in a good shape now, not in my best form yet.
"I will try to win the competitition on Sunday, maybe it's too early for the world record."