She broke her own women's world pole vault record on Tuesday when she cleared 5.04 metres on her third attempt at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Her previous mark of 5.03m was set at the Rome Golden League meeting on July 11.

Tuesday's feat was her 13th outdoor world record and 23rd overall on a warm, still night in the principality.

The Olympic and world champion had come close to vaulting 5.04m last Friday in London, where she cleared the bar with her third attempt but brought it down during her descent.

'The record just happened,' the 26-year-old Monaco resident told reporters.

'Monaco is my home town and it's my first competition in Monaco since I've been living here. That motivated me.

'I'm in a good shape, I just need to keep my condition that way until the Olympics.

'I wanted to improve my personal best and that's what I did. I see this world record first of all as a personal best.''

Until July 11, she had not improved on her mark in three years.

Her previous mark up to then was 5.01m set at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki.

But with American rival Jenn Stuczynski setting an American record of 4.92m at the United States Olympic trials earlier this month, the Russian was pressured to respond before the Beijing Games.

'Everybody was saying, 'Ah okay, Isinbayeva is finished, we have a new star',' Isinbayeva said. 'So I was really angry.''

She had tried to clear 5.02m repeatedly over the past few seasons and decided with her new coach Vitaly Petrov that a switch to 5.03m might give her a psychological boost.

'He said we have to change something,' she explained.

Isinbayeva cleared the record height with ease on her second attempt, suggesting she is capable of much more.

As is wont with top pole vaulters, Isinbayeva only attempts for a new mark 1cm at a time.

That trend was made famous by Sergei Bubka.

Isinbayeva has worked hard to overcome the physical and psychological problems that stopped her from improving on the record since 2005.

'I'm stronger now, I run faster and jump higher, but the most important thing is my mind - I'm happy, I'm quiet now, I want to jump,' she said. 'Before I had problems, and the pole vault was somewhere in the back of my mind.''

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS