Dragila thinks experience might beat Russians

Stacy Dragila has watched Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva soar to one pole vault world record after another, with decidedly mixed feelings.

Stacy Dragila has watched Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva soar to one pole vault world record after another, with decidedly mixed feelings.

HT Image

"It's heart-wrenching. It makes me ill," the American said with a laugh. "But it's also very exciting, for me to be part of the groundbreaking process in the event and seeing where it's going."

The 33-year-old Dragila intends to go with it, too. She is a pioneer, the only Olympic gold medalist the women's pole vault has known, winner of the event's first two outdoor world championships. She set the world record eight times in 2001.

To keep the event from passing her by, she switched coaches, refreshed her attitude and gave her vaulting style a complete makeover — "to try something new and get to those new heights where the Russians are going. That's where I envision myself being and I'd love to be there before I retired."

The powerhouse Russian duo of Isinbayeva and Svetlana Feofanova make a formidable obstacle to Dragila's quest for another gold — especially Isinbayeva, who set the world record three times in five weeks, the last at 4.90 meters (16 feet, 3/4 inch) on July 30 in London.

"She's jumping very consistent. She's very confident," Dragila said.

But the 22-year-old Isinbayeva has not experienced the intense pressure of a packed Olympic stadium.

"It's just overwhelming," Dragila said. "Luckily, I've been there and done it before, so maybe I have an edge on some of the athletes, knowing what to expect with the whole Olympic movement and the stadium full of people yelling and screaming, absolutely crazy. You can't communicate with your coach. You'd better know sign language by now, or you're in trouble because you just can't hear."

Dragila notes that the two Russians learned to vault "the right way" from the start.

"They know what they're doing," she said.

Dragila, on the other hand, was a heptathlete at Idaho State University when she started fooling around with the pole vault before it became an official event.

Her technique was flawed. She let the pole do the work, flinging her over the bar like a slingshot, instead of using the pole as a tool, pushing her way over the bar, said new coach Greg Hull.

"I read a quote from Sergey Bubka," Hull said, referring to the great Ukrainian vaulter. "He said, `Don't let the pole be boss. You be boss'."

Dragila this year is jumping better than ever. She set an American indoor record by clearing 4.81 meters (15 feet 9 inches) at the world indoor championships. She was beaten only by Isinbayeva's world record of 4.86 meters (15 feet, 11 inches).

The reserved Feofanova and the expressive Isinbayeva have a spirited rivalry. That could work to Dragila's advantage, she said.

"From what I understand, they don't like each other, so competition between the two of them is very hot," Dragila said. "I think either one of them would do anything possible to beat the other. I'm just looking to do my best for myself. It's not really about them. It's about me."

She knows that to come out on top in a battle of the event's "big three," the confidence, the rejuvenation and the new style will have to come together in Athens.

"I have a couple of extra poles in my bag," she said, referring to ones that are a bit longer than what she uses normally.

"If I can get on those, I think I'm going to be right in the thick of things. That goes down to confidence on my side, trusting what we've been working on this last year and a half."

Whatever the outcome, don't expect this to be a last hurrah.

"I think for sure I see myself going at least two more years," Dragila said. "Things are really good and I'm still competitive, and I still have that drive. Heck, I don't know, Beijing is just around the corner."