BEIJING: 

Yelena Isinbayeva

Russia's celebrated pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is mad, hopping mad.

She is ballistic over the pre-Games remarks about her in the media by her nemesis Jennifer Stuczynski of the USA.

The world champion, who upstaged her own record when soaring 5.05m, says her performance has put her arch rival "in her place".

Stuczynski (her best vault at Beijing was 4.80m) had reportedly made a remark before coming to Beijing about "kicking Russian butt" in the Games here. (KHALIDOSCOPE, Aug 18).

Isinbayeva said yesterday: "She has never beaten me. She is talking too much. So I didn't say anything. I just wanted to prove who is the best.

"I am not deaf. I can read interviews and hear what is being talked about. It made me really angry because I said 'How is it possible to speak like this about me?'

"When I found out, it wasn't nice because she must respect me and know her position. Now she knows it."

(With inputs from agency reports)