Isinbayeva: Pure magic always

Yelena Isinbayeva. Is she for real? Okay, I admit we have already asked this question of Sergey Bubka. For like ages…err…what do you mean that That bloke with the stick (mind out of gutter, puhleeze!) was only around for just over 10 years? He sure seemed ubiquitous. Not that anyone minded. Just as we do not mind Isinbayeva. We only heart Isinbayeva. This woman with the stick could yet be the biggest yay! for feminism. But as feminism is accused of embracing anything self-serving, we shall not indulge in the same. Rather let's do some worshipping of the pole vault variety.

Isinbayeva. This woman is pure magic. Always. A showstopper and a heart stopper too with her beautiful looks, glowing smile, proud eyes and showmanship. I want to ask her about her ever continuous quest for perfection. She intrigues me for what woman would want to jump over houses to make a living. She rebuts notions of drab female athletes. For in Beijing, no athlete has seemed as suavely cool, as confidently glamorous or shown such naked determination as this 26-year-old Russian. Or made athletics look sexy.

A wow for the way she worked the stadium crowd: And for affecting people like a colleague who came to office the next day gushing about a woman who had won some race. And then his eyes fell on a picture of Isinbayeva blowing kisses (part of an article on the star that my neighbour was reading) and he goes all gleeful and “This is her. This is the one who won the race.” Careful investigation revealed that he had switched on the television at the tail end of her victory celebrations and all he saw was her running with her country’s flag and blowing kisses.

Such is the effect of this amazing woman.

Do not know about feminism, but Isinbayeva has been one of the athletes expressing themselves exquisitely in a land accused of suppressing expression.

Long may her tribe flourish.