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Olympic Pole Vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva Signs 5-Year Contract With Russian Army

Yelena Isinbayeva

Two-time Olympic pole vaulting champion Yelena Isinbayeva has signed a five-year extension to her contract with the Russian army, a news report said Wednesday.

The 32-year-old pole vaulter, who was made a captain of the Russian army in 2008, will serve as a track and field coach for CSKA Moscow, which is the Central Sports Army Club, the TASS news agency cited club spokesman Sergei Vlasov as saying.

"I am overjoyed to rejoin the ranks of CSKA, whose possibilities are unlimited and whose goals and ambitions match mine. CSKA Moscow is one big family and an example of what every athlete should strive toward,

CSKA Moscow is sometimes referred to in the West as the “Red Army” team because it used to be a part of the Soviet army's sports society. Fourteen sports teams composed of some 400 athletes on military contracts were introduced to CSKA Moscow in 2013.


Isinbayeva announced earlier this year that she was resuming her pole vaulting career after taking a break following the 2013 World Track and Field Championships in Moscow. The prolific athlete has not ruled out representing Russia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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