The 29-year-old from Volgograd, who said after failing to win a medal at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha that a break from competing was "absolutely necessary", returned to competition in February this year, winning the Russian Winter meeting with a vault of 4.81 metres and has since made lower key appearances at three outdoor events.

Her victory on the night was as comfortable as that achieved over 200m by another world holder, Usain Bolt, as she reached 4.76m in the Olympic Stadium to finish comfortably clear of her nearest challenger, Germany's Silke Spiegelburg, who recorded 4.70m.

Last year's Diamond League event winner, Fabiana Murer of Brazil, could only manage fifth place with 4.51m, while home vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, who recently broke Isinbayeva's European junior record, was eight with 4.41m.

Bolt was returning to the scene of his last defeat - at the hands of Tyson Gay over 100m last August - but he never had anything to worry about as he moved clear of the field to finish five metres clear in the 200m.

The world and Olympic champion looked a little underwhelmed by his time of 20.03 sec, although he was running into a headwind.


It was only the second time Bolt had finished a 200m, excluding rounds, in more than 20sec since September 2007, with the first time being earlier this month at the Paris Diamond League meeting, where he won in the same time.

Vivian Cheruyiot of Kenya set the world's best 5,000m time this year as she won in 14min 20.87sec.

Caster Semenya, who is hoping to defend her 800m title at the IAAF World Championships starting in Daegu next month, could only finish eighth in a race won by Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica in 1:58.21.

The South African recorded 2:01.28.

LaShawn Merritt, the world and Olympic 400m champion, returned to the track for the first time since serving a 21-month ban for an adverse doping test and finished second in 44.74 behind Jamaica's Jermaine Gonzalez, who won in 44.69.

In the women's triple jump, Olha Saladuha produced an effort of 15.06m to defeat Cuba's world champion Yargelis Savigne.

Silas Kiplagat held off fellow Kenyan Asbel Kiprop to win the 1500m in 3:33.94, with the Olympic champion clocking 3:34.42.

David Oliver, narrowly beaten in Paris by Cuba's world record holder Dayron Robles, suffered an entirely unexpected defeat in the 110m hurdles at the hands of fellow American Jason Richardson, who won in 13.17, with Oliver clocking 13.28.

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