Russia`s Yelena Isinbayeva is confident she can raise the bar even higher after setting a pole vault world record of 5.03 metres at the Golden Gala on Friday.

"I think you saw that I wasn`t near the bar, I was higher," the world and Olympic champion told a news conference after breaking her own world mark. "This is just the beginning."

The 26-year-old smashed her previous record of 5.01, which she set at the 2005 Helsinki world championships.

"It was my intention to break the world record here in Rome. I love this crowd and wanted something great for them," a beaming Isinbayeva said.

"I tried 5.02 lots of times and nothing happened so today we tried 5.03.

"I was so happy with my jumping. Other times I watched myself on television and I didn`t like my technique. But I loved myself so much today."

She added that the good form of America`s Jennifer Stuczynski, who jumped 4.92 at the U.S. trails this month, had spurred her on.

"Maybe I`m more focused, more angry," she said. "Everyone started to say there`s a new star. It made me so angry.

"Today I felt like the old Yelena. It was so easy. It didn`t feel impossibly high."
sections: Sport