There is still something special about Yelena Isinbayeva, even if the deposed Olympic pole vault champion is now the woman who fell to earth.

Having become, by her own admission, bored of competing, she took a year out in 2010 until, by her own admission, she became even more bored with living in Monte Carlo and not competing and re-fashioned her career in company with her original coach, Yevgeniy Trofimov.

As her performance – and it was a redoubtable performance – at the media conference held after the pole vault final indicated, Isinbayeva is a lively and very unpredictable character. As she herself acknowledged in what had the feel of an extemporising comedy riff.

"My plan was to win gold here and retire," she said. "Now, perhaps, I am thinking of Rio [2016]. The 2013 World Championships are in Moscow and of course I will participate there and go for gold. Actually, my plans change every day. I am like a pair of twins. Today, I wake up and say I will stop. Then the next day I say I will continue."  The statement was followed by a burst of wild laughter as she rolled her cat-like green eyes and tossed back her long dark hair. Yep, the stardust still adheres to this fallen star.

Silver medalist Yarisley Silva of Cuba, gold medalist Jennifer Suhr of the United States and bronze medalist Yelena Isinbaeva of Russia

Achieving the unprecedented feat of a third consecutive Olympic pole vault victory was enough to energise the woman who still holds the world indoor and outdoor records, and her competitive instincts meant she got very close to doing that, even though, as she revealed afterwards, her preparations for this competition had been severely hampered by a muscle tear which had prevented her competing and training properly.

Jennifer Suhr, the US gold medallist sitting alongside the Russian – and it did seem that way round – began to look a little nonplussed as Isinbayeva held centre stage. Perhaps the woman who trains with her husband/coach Rick in a wooden shack at the back of their home in Rochester, New York - where it is sometimes so cold that she has to knock the ice off her practice pole – was taking in the full weight of messages being delivered to her left. Which were basically these: You only beat me because I was injured. I will beat you when I am fit.

The more general message going out pretty much corresponded to the diva who would steal the limelight from Eric and Ernie at the end of the Morecambe and Wise Show: "Thank you for watching me and my little old show here tonight. If you've enjoyed it, it's all been worthwhile. But for now, it's goodnight – and I LOVE you all....

Yelena Isinbaeva of Russia practicing ahead of her London 2012 women's pole vault jump

Two days after securing a bronze medal which, in the circumstances – are you listening, mortal pole vaulters? – felt like gold to her, Isinbayeva appeared alongside the International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge in her role as an ambassador for the Youth Olympic Games and confirmed that she would be seeking to earn that third Olympic title in Rio four years from now.

At some point in the day she also gave a comment to Russian news sources in which she criticised the Olympic atmosphere in the capital, saying that once you went outside the Olympic Park there was nothing to show that the Games were on. "There is no feeling of jubilation here," she was reported as saying in contrasting the likely atmosphere around the Sochi Winter Games of 2014.

Perhaps this was meant more as a positive comment for Russia than a negative comment for Britain, but it aroused numerous tweets from outraged Brits – as you might expect.

US' gold medalist Jennifer Suhr, Cuba's silver medalist Yarisley Silva and Russia's bronze medalist Yelena Isinbayeva celebrate with their home flags around the Olympic Stadium

The ride out from Central to East London tonight on the top of a media bus offered a fine viewpoint to assess if Isinbayeva's comments are at least partly true. The massive rings located in the centre of the Thames near Embankment, lit at night, and the iconic rings suspended under Tower Bridge in homage to the symbol of the last London Games of 1948 are a pretty bold statement of engagement on behalf of the host city, but by the time the road signs read Dalston, Hackney and Stratford, then yes, other than Olympic flags on sections of the route, it might appear like Everyday Life As Usual on the approach to the newly created postcode of E20 2ST.

It's just East London – houses, tower blocks, warehouses, industrial units, until the bus crests a rise on the A12 and the hockey floodlights rise into view, lit, and then the whole panorama of the Olympic Park opens up.

The question really is – Yelena, where have you been in the last couple of days? The best immediate rebuttal of her position, I suppose, is to cite the crowds who turned up, of their own accord, to watch the free events such as the cycle road races and time trials, and the men's and women's triathlons. Those crowds were huge.

Fans take photos as Yelena Isinbaeva of Russia kisses her coach Evgeny Trofimov after winning bronze in the women's pole vault

In the aftermath of the men's cycle road race I met up with a very experienced photographer friend who has covered many, many Olympics. Red faced and tired after a long day in the sun around Surrey and outer London, he shook his head in wonder at what he had just witnessed in terms of home interest. "They were four or five deep – all the way round. Everywhere. I've never seen anything like it."

There is a true indicator of interest in these Games, data to set along the statistics of huge oversubscription from home would-be fans for London 2012 tickets.

As far as Isinbayeva is concerned, one is tempted to adapt Samuel Johnson's comment to his devoted friend and recorder James Boswell on the subject of the English capital: "When a woman is tired of London, she is tired of life." Then again, she will probably have changed her mind on the subject by tomorrow.

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the past five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now chief feature writer for insidethegames.