Yelena Isinbayeva tops Beijing TV viewing figures – European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS

Figures released from Chinese Television (CCTV) have confirmed that Russian Pole Vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is the most popular sports personality among Chinese Olympic TV viewers.

During her world record breaking final, some 260 million Chinese people were glued to their television sets.  This figure overshadowed America's swimming superstar eight times gold medallist Michael Phelps who received 240 million and Jamaica's sprints phenomenon Usain Bolt with 230 million viewers.

Yelena Isinbayeva's astounding world record breaking performances are almost becoming expected from this 26-year-old former Senior Lieutenant in the Russian Army.

At 19-years-old she broke the world junior record (4.46m) then went on to break her first senior record in Gateshead in 2003 (4.82m), since then she has gone on to set a total of 24 world records, win two Olympic gold's, two World Championship titles and a bronze medal, three World Indoor Championship titles and a silver medal, and European Indoor and Outdoor gold medals.

This year, Isinbayeva's 5.05m clearance made people sit up and take notice of her claim that she is aiming to match the 35-strong world record success of her mentor Sergey Bubka, and that she thinks she has it in her to clear 5.15m!

With rumours circulating that the beautiful Russian also hopes to establish her own fashion label, life post Beijing is certainly not going to be boring for Yelena Isinbayeva.

European Athletics (EAA) – NEWS