Yelena Isinbayeva Prince of Asturias Award for Sports 2009

At its meeting in Oviedo, the Jury for the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports, made up of Mr. José María Abad, Mr. Alejandro Blanco, Mr. Agustín Castellote, Mr. Enrique Castro, Ms. María Escario, Mr. Misael Fernández-Porrón, Mr. Julián García-Candau, Mr. Ignacio Gómez-Acebo, Mr. Eduardo Inda, Ms. María del Carmen Izquierdo, Mr. Javier Jiménez, Mr. Jaime Lissavetzky, Mr. José Antonio Luque, Mr. Javier Muñoz, Mr. Santiago Nolla, Mr. Josep Pedrerol, Mr. José Ramón Pindado, Mr. Matías Prats, Mr. Julián Redondo, Mr. Ángel Rodríguez, Mr. Nemesio Rodríguez, Mr. José Sámano, Mr. José Luis Sánchez-Izquierdo, Ms. Arancha Sánchez-Vicario, Mr. Orfeo Suárez, Mr. José Luis Vilaseca, Ms. Emma Villacieros, chaired by Juan Antonio Samaranch, Marquess of Samaranch, and with Mr. Ignacio Martínez acting as secretary, has decided by majority vote to confer the 2009 Prince of Asturias Award for Sports on the Russian Federation athlete Yelena Isinbayeva. She possesses the fundamental conditions for which of the award is bestowed, being one of those “whose lives and works are not only examples to others, but who have also reached new heights in man’s quest to surpass himself, and whose efforts have contributed to the advancement, nurturing, promotion or dissemination of sport”.

Yelena Isinbayeva has broken the world pole-vaulting record twenty-seven times, on the last occasion at the recent competition held in Zurich, where she demonstrated a commendable spirit of self-improvement by achieving her new record after having suffered the disappointment of not winning the world championship in Berlin.

Yelena Isinbayeva has twice been Olympic champion, as well as world and European champion on several occasions, in both outdoor and indoor events. She was also distinguished in 2004 and 2005 as World Athlete of the Year. These achievements have made her the best sportswoman of all times in her discipline.

Oviedo, 2nd September 2009