Isinbayeva wins with new record
Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record on the way to defending her Olympic title.
The 26-year-old beat the record by a centimetre with a clearance of 5.05 metres, finishing ahead of American Jennifer Stuczynski, who cleared 4.80m.
Russia's Svetlana Feofanova took bronze with a vault of 4.75m.
Isinbayeva, who has also won two world titles, has now broken the world record on three occasions this year - in Rome, Monaco, and now in Beijing.
"I was trying to do my best for the crowd," she said afterwards.
I will still improve and the next goal is London 2012
Yelena Isinbayeva
"It makes me happy, so happy, I felt that I could not go out without the world record because of the support the crowd gave me.
"I remember my feelings from Athens 2004 and I wanted to feel that again.
"Everyone was so sure that I would win so I felt a lot of pressure."
Isinbayeva is now aiming to break set Sergei Bubka's record for consecutive world records.
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"I will do it. I just have 12 more to go. Life would be boring without records to break so I want to continue on forever.
"It is hard to be more perfect than this. I will still improve and the next goal is London 2012."
The Russian needed just two jumps in the final to claim her second Olympics gold, electing to begin her defence at 4.70m.
He clinched the title with her second vault - 4.85m - having watched rivals Feofanova and Stuczynski bow out of the competition at lower heights.
Isinbayeva then raised the bar to 4.95m - a new Olympic record - and cleared it on her third attempt.
With only the women's pole vault still running at the Bird's Nest, the Volgograd athlete moved the bar up to the world record height of 5.05m, which she cleared, again, with her third and final attempt.
Isinbayeva first broke the world record in 2003 in Gateshead, when she cleared 4.82m.
Meanwhile, the women's final was held up for between 10 to15 minutes when Brazilian Fabiana Murer could not find the pole she wanted to jump with.
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