By the time she made three unsuccessful attempts at 5.07m, one centimetre more than her own world record, all other competitors had left the stadium. It was just her and 32,431 (that's official) spectators, plus a worldwide TV audience of millions. Perfect.

But the press conference...well, I had attended previous press conferences involving La Isinbayeva, after she had won Olympic gold in similar circumstances at Beijing 2008, and after she had had to settle for bronze at the last World Championships in Daegu two years earlier. And the thing is - press conferences with Isinbayeva are exhausting. They are like watching a full length feature film, with all the emotions in vivid technicolour - joy, despair, hope, anger, frustration, longing...You come out, in John Cooper Clarke's immortal phrase, "feeling like a sucked and spat-out Smartie."

For the journalist used to panning for fragments of gold at such conferences - "my main aim was to focus on the pace" and suchlike - there is the panic of a gold rush discovery. To employ yet another metaphor - sorry - with Isinbayeva you always get more lines than Clapham Junction.

The new champion had already expressed herself fully in the stadium, performing exuberant back flips of celebration, a reminder that this athlete started out as a gymnast, the Russian flag she carried billowing out as she did so. And there was no halting the expressiveness when she came to start talking, which she did with rising excitement. Isinbayeva is always reaching new heights, either within or without the arena.

Yelena Isinbayeva somersaults after winning the women's pole vault

"Somehow in my subconscious I thought that this might be my last performance and I wanted to leave a footprint with my very last impression. And I am incredibly happy that it was a good result and a gold medal. Even if I won't manage to return I can leave with a clean heart knowing that I did everything I can."

So she was retiring then? Well no. Not necessarily.

"I would say that I'm not retiring for the moment. I just take a little women's break to have a baby, then I will try to come back in Rio. But if something goes wrong then I will officially announce that I will retire."

So the baby break then? Everything was...er...organised?

"Well, we have nine months I think, for when the baby is inside. And then nine months when I will rest. So one year and eight months. So just Rio for my comeback."

And the father? Did she have someone in particular in mind? It seems she has said she wants this to remain private. Good luck with that, Yelena...

She moved to the topic of her world record attempts. "Actually I am happy about the victory. The world record will come a little bit later, I think."

Right. So that will be in Rio then, presumably...

Her immediate plans were more fully formed. "We are going to go to night clubs, go to all the restaurants. We are going to celebrate big-time."

And she was full of gratitude to her coach Yevgeny Trofimov, who had persuaded her to return to the sport after she took time out in 2010, and who had, in her own phrase, "resurrected" her. "Since 2010 we are suffering, people are saying 'Isinbayeva is through', I heard so many things, but they just inspired me. Now I have shown the whole world that the era of Isinbayeva is here again. It was never over."

Yelena Isinbayeva credits Yevgeny Trofimov with resurrecting her



Next she was discussing her forthcoming role as Mayor of the Olympic Village at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. "In 2014 I will have the year of the VIP. I will be just a big shot - walking like a pregnant penguin! I will be welcoming the different delegations. Maybe I will dance for them and tell them everything."

Her laughter rose, almost out of control. Yelena was getting higher and higher...but now she was coming down, lower, lower...

"I don't think my life after sport will be as bright as in sport. I don't think I will be having the same emotions as in sport. OK. I will be having the emotions of my regular life. Having a child. Family life is hard task. I am 31. It will be a new experience. I shall be a mother and wife. But how can I live just a simple life? I don't know what I am going to do. Maybe when I am pregnant I will lie on a couch in front of the TV, be a couch potato, and eat some sweets or cake. But now this dreamed-of life is approaching, I don't know..."

At this point I began to feel awkward, as if I were hearing things I shouldn't know. Things only a close friend - or perhaps therapist - should know. And so I made my way past the knees and tape recorders, sated, overloaded with copy. And I was not the only one to go early. As the door closed, I heard Isinbayeva's laughter again, rising higher and higher...

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, covered the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics as chief feature writer for insidethegames, having covered the previous five summer Games, and four winter Games, for The Independent. He has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. To follow him on Twitter click here.