Paris, Jul 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti): Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva insists winning her first outdoor competition of the year at a European Athletics Outdoor Premium Meeting in France trumps clearing a relatively modest height.
The 30-year-old Russian posted an unconvincing 4.75 meter jump that rattled the bar, missing her next attempts at 4.85 meters, which would have been a world-leading mark.
It was still enough to beat Britain's Holly Bleasdale and Poland's Anna Rogowska into second and third place, respectively, at Tuesday's meet in the French town of Sotteville les Rouen.
"I'm so happy that I got the victory, that's the most important, the good results will come later," said Isinbayeva, who set a new indoor record of 5.01 meters in Stockholm in February, in comments to the IAAF website.
Gunning for her third-successive Olympic gold in London, Isinbayeva has shortened her preparation period for the Games, citing the difficulties of maintaining peak condition for an athlete of her age over a long period of time.
She has said she intends to take part in a Diamond League meet in Monaco July 20, a week before the start of the Games.