Powell and Isinbayeva – “a little bit of pressure is good” – IAAF World Athletics Tour, Monaco

Monte-Carlo – Christine Arron and Leslie Djhone of France, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell and Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia were the guests late this afternoon at a press conference on the eve of the Herculis 2008 – IAAF World Athletics Tour 2008, which takes place, Tuesday 29, in the Stade Louis II which is situated in the Fontvieille district of the tiny Mediterranean Principality of Monaco.

Also present were meeting director Jean-Pierre Schoebel and former World 400m Hurdles champion Stéphane Diagana, who is president of the Lagardère Athlé Tour of French meetings of which Herculis is a member.

Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) – Pole Vault

Isinbayeva, who has made her home in recent years in Monaco, laughed as she was introduced to the audience as the Principality’s best athlete. She will be competing tomorrow night in the stadium in which she regularly trains.

“Yeah, I’m in good shape and ready for tomorrow,” said the World record holder. “I feel responsible in a way (because she lives here) that I make a good performance.”

“I prepare to do my personal best here.”

Considering that her PB (5.03m) is the World record, it’s a comment which immediately provoked laughter in the audience and a light hearted repost from the moderator, “what! Just your personal best?”

“Yes, just my personal best, I would be happy with that,” Isinbayeva replied with a broad smile on her face.

“I will start my competition at 4.70, then 4.85 then 4.95 and then a 5.04 World record….Yes, it looks easy on paper,” she laughed again.

Next she chatted about the inspiration of having the second highest jumper of all-time, American record holder (4.92) Jennifer Stuczynski competing with her for the first time this season in London last weekend.

>>Stuczynski has had to pull out of Herculis with a recurrence of a back injury<<

“I was surprised that she started her competition at such a high height (4.65) before now there’s only been me doing that. It means that she is very confident, and that also helps to give me (competitive) energy, knowing that she is not afraid of me.”

“This is really interesting for me. She being there in competition has given me a feeling like I have never had before. Like maybe ‘hey I have a strong rival’…that helps to give me great motivation.”

“That competition (London) was really very exciting as I was really competing with another girl.”

Asafa Powell (JAM) – 100m

“I’m fit and still working on a few things.”

What things are you working on, what do you want to improve, 9.88? (his season’s best)

“No, I’m working on bettering 9.74” (his personal best and former World record).

“Tomorrow, all I am concentrating on is running straight through the finish line…. It’s down to just me. I’m trying to focus on myself and not the competition.”

But “of course a little bit of pressure is good.”

About his defeat of Usain Bolt in Stockholm:

“If you look at the tape (film), you’ll see on the replay that I’m slowing down from about point (50 metres from the finish when Bolt began his attack), I was looking to my side and joking around. I wasn’t really still pushing. Then I saw him coming and tried to pick it up again (speed) and it was nearly a little too late,” Powell confirmed with a confident laugh.

Christine Arron (FRA) – 100m

“I have just been worried about my health. I have been training yesterday and it went well but ‘my batteries’ feel a bit weak. I need to find more power in my running.”

“I do not regret trying to double (at last weekend’s French championships), it’s just a problem of health and I will come back (to form).”

Leslie Djhone (FRA) – 400m

“There will be the fifth (Andretti Bain) and tenth (Ricardo Chambers) best performers in the world (of this year) there tomorrow, not just Martyn Rooney (of Britain, who for the first time was under 45 sec in London at the weekend), so I will remain focussed not on any person, only on my race. That is what is important about the race tomorrow.”

Chris Turner – IAAF