Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva on her way to gold and a world record in the women's pole vault yesterday. - AP

BEIJING (AP):

WITH CHINESE hurdler Liu Xiang gone, it came down to Yelena Isinbayeva to produce that magic yesterday at the Beijing Olympics.

The Russian pole vault great won the gold medal with barely two jumps and then added a world record for good measure - just like she did in Athens four years ago.

Always count on Isinbayeva to come through. Compared with Sergei Bubka as the female version of the greatest vaulter in history, Isinbayeva outdid him on the Olympic stage, winning her second gold compared to his lone win.

"I love to be alone at the top," Isinbayeva said. "It is so cool. I just tried to prove it to myself."

Isinbayeva continued to jump after winning the title at 4.85 metres, first setting an Olympic record of 4.95 before breaking her own mark with a vault of 5.05.

Trademark summersault

Coming down she was already celebrating with her hands and fingers outstretched in ecstasy before hitting the mat. She followed it up with her trademark summersault.

It was world record No. 24 for her, indoor and outdoor combined, closing in ever more on Bubka's mark of 35.

Silver went to Jenn Stuczynski, the American who brazenly challenged her but fell short at 4.80.

"You saw what happened yourself. I just tried to prove who was the best," Isinbayeva said.

Svetlana Feofanova took bronze.

Once the title assured and challengers batted away like pesky flies, Isinbayeva retreated under a white blanket with only her sky blue spikes emerging. As so often, she found that zone that is seemingly reserved for her only.

With the whole Bird's Nest cheering her on, she missed twice - only a tease.

Talking to her pole, she lined up one final time. Speed, skills and amazing grace conspired in one explosive move and she was the greatest again.

Along with the sensational world record of Usain Bolt in the 100 on Saturday, it was what the sport needed to reclaim the Olympic stage from Michael Phelps and swimming.

In one jump, Isinbayeva again reduced the rest of the athletes to a sideshow. It was her 24th world record indoor and outdoor combined.

In the 800, 18-year-old Pamela Jelimo ran away from Janeth Jepkosgei in a duel of Kenyan front-runners to take gold with a world junior record in one of the most anticipated races of the Games.

She dedicated victory to her mother, who had to give up her love of running when she got married.

Now a new generation carries the torch. Not a single African woman had won the event since Maria Mutola did it for Mozambique in 2000. Now they swept the podium, showing great strides for women.

Intolerable pain

US hurdlers went one better than a Kenyan double in the 800, sweeping the 400 hurdles with Angelo Taylor leading the way ahead of Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson.

On a busy night, Irving Saladino won Panama's first ever gold in the Olympics, taking the long jump.

Offsetting the joyous scenes, Liu pulled out of the Olympics before clearing his first hurdle yesterday, suffering "intolerable" pain in his right leg in front of a stunned crowd.

Liu barely got out of the blocks in his opening 110 hurdles heat and immediately started hobbling. It didn't matter it was a false start. Something snapped in his physical resistance after months of uncertainty about an inflamed hamstring compounded by a foot injury.

Horrible start

United States' Angelo Taylor celebrates winning the gold in the men's 400-metre hurdles yesterday. - AP

As predictable as was Isinbayeva's victory, Kenya won the steeplechase - for the seventh time in row.

Brimin Kipruto, the Athens silver medalist and reigning world champion, came from behind to beat Maheidine Mekhissi-Benabbad, a Frenchman, who split up an expected Kenyan sweep by taking silver ahead of Richard Mateelong.

Athens champion Ezekiel Kemboi faded to finish in seventh place.

After a horrible start to the track competition, the United States got two gold and five overall yesterday, the first gold, an unexpected one from Stephanie Brown Trafton in the discus. The 28-year-old Brown Trafton, only third at the US trials, won with a best mark of 64.74 metres ahead of Yarelys Barrios of Cuba and Olena Antonova of Ukraine.

Kenya's Pamela Jelimo waves happily after claiming the gold in the women's 800-metre final. - AP