When the great Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka was in his pomp, Yelena Isinbayeva was growing up in the Russian city of Volgograd totally unaware of his exploits and the sport he made his own.

Bubka broke the men's world record almost at will between 1984 and 1994, setting 35 world bests in a phenomenal career.

Isinbayeva, a talented gymnast as a young girl, had her own ambitions of competing at major championships.

But the step into the top ranks proved beyond her and at the age of 15 she turned to the pole vault.

Eight years on Isinbayeva stands alone at the pinnacle of her sport, the Olympic [Images] champion and world record holder who last month achieved the iconic vault of five metres.

Having eclipsed that mark the 23-year-old now has the world title in her sights and is the red-hot favourite for a gold medal on Wednesday that would crown a perfect 12 months.

"I did not choose to do the pole vault, my [gymnastics] coach took me one day to the stadium and said I should try it," a relaxed Isinbayeva told reporters in the Finnish capital in the lead-up to the championships.

"I said, 'Excuse me, what is it?'. My coach said, 'Just try it, just try it. If you like it you can be like Bubka.' And I said 'Who is she?'

"But I tried it and liked it. I wasn't unhappy, I felt gymnastics had finished for me."

CLOSE TABS

Isinbayeva first met Bubka at the 2002 European championships in Munich and the Ukrainian, whose outdoor record of 6.14 metres and indoor mark of 6.15 still stand, has kept close tabs on her career.

"My coach [Yevgeny Trofimov] and I watch videos of him and he always wishes me luck when I see him at competitions," she said. "Just knowing he is watching helps me a lot."

Bubka was one of the first to congratulate Isinbayeva on her latest feat and she is determined to emulate his achievement of 35 world records.

Her tally stands at 17 and in time-honoured fashion, having broken with tradition in London [Images], she will once again revert to raising the bar one centimetre at a time, earning a $50,000 bonus each time.

Isinbayeva honed her sporting prowess from an early age, spending hours in the gym each day while her parents juggled "two or three jobs each" to make ends meet.

Now she is in a position to pay them back, using the money she earns to provide a better standard of living for them as well as her sister.

Asked about the secret of her success, she replies with no hint of arrogance: "I am talented. The pole vault is my sport and I have a good coach of course.

"When I first came to do the pole vault he told me if I learned from him then I will jump like Bubka. Now he says in the second part of my leap I look like him."

ECCENTRIC METHOD

Isinbayeva has her own eccentric method of motivating herself before each leap, muttering to her pole as she stands on the runway eyes focused.

"It's very personal, very special," she said with an embarrassed smile when asked what words of wisdom she imparts.

"Actually, I'm thinking about the people who believe in me and I try to make them happy."

Isinbayeva took bronze in Paris two years ago, managing a clearance of just 4.65 when compatriot Svetlana Feofanova won the world title.

Feofanova will be absent from Helsinki through injury, leaving Poland's Anna Rogowska, the Olympic bronze medallist, as Isinbayeva's main challenger.

"I'm feeling in good shape and if the conditions are right I will definitely attempt another world record. I can go higher still," said the Russian.