Russia today hailed the stunning triumph of pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva at her home world championships in Moscow, hoping her victory would not mark the culmination of an illustrious career.
Isinbayeva's victory at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium late yesterday galvanized the entire championships and left Russians hoping that that the career of their best-loved athlete would not end there.
"I congratulate Yelena Isinbayeva on a bright, emotional and well-earned victory. I wish Yelena new achievements -- in sport and in her personal life!" Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Facebook.
Isinbayeva announced afterwards that she intended to take an 18-month break to have a baby but said she could still compete in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games if she still had the condition.
"Continue Yelena! You are wonderful!" said the Sovietsky Sport daily. "Isinbayeva did not give one chance to her opponents. It would be a shame if she left sport."
"A bird of happiness," said the Sport Express daily. "Yesterday evening, Yelena Isinbayeva made thousands of fans in the Luzhniki stadium happy as well as millions across the country."
The head of Russia's Olympic Committee, Alexander Zhukov, said he would petition the government to ensure that Isinbayeva is honoured with a high state award.
"Yelena Isinbayeva was stunning yesterday. I think her gold is comparable, or even better, than Olympic gold since she came back after a period of not-so-successful performances," he added, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Loved in Russia for both her sporting prowess and her emotional honesty, Isinbayeva lives in the southern city of Volgograd and is the daughter of an ethnic Russian mother and a father from the Caucasus region of Dagestan.
