By David Powell
Russia’s extraordinary pole vaulter is at home with her fame
DOWN Soviet Street, parallel to the main road through Volgograd, lies the City School. On a rare day’s rest from training, Yelena Isinbayeva walks past one of 17 tank turrets marking the front line of Soviet troops during the Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942 and continues through the open, buckled, iron gates. It is a Sunday morning and the school seems deserted.
Isinbayeva knocks on the door. No reply. She knocks again. Still no answer. She shouts her name and pauses for a few seconds. Now the door opens and the caretaker greets her warmly. This is Isinbayeva’s Alma Mater, an austere building where the visitor’s eye is deflected from the need for repairs by seemingly endless trails of hanging photographs.
As the school echoes to the sound of footsteps, we are walking along corridors of history. Former pupils here include Olympic champions from several decades and several sports, including weightli...
