8/18/08

BEIJING -- Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva had gotten up from what looked like a cat nap to find out that she just won the gold medal in the pole vault.

For most of this humid Monday night in the Bird's Nest, Isinbayeva lay on her back on the infield, a Russia hat pulled snug over her eyes, passing on height after height as most of the world's best vaulters were confounded and eliminated. On just her second attempt of the night, Isinbayeva cleared 15'11". Then she waited.