On this date in 2009, Russian Yelena Isinbayeva set her final and 17th world record in the pole vault, at 5.06 meters while competing in Zurich at the IAAF Golden League's Weltklasse Zurich meet. By that time, she had already established herself as a legend and probably the greatest female pole-vaulter. In addition to the outdoor records, she also set the indoor mark 13 times and currently still has 8 various meet records, including the Olympic and World Championship marks. Her unfortunate, to put it charitably, remarks on gay discrimination during the run-up to the Sochi Games, where she would be an official ambassador, overshadowed her career - but her athletic success and power can't be denied.
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