Russian pole vault sensation Yelena Isinbayeva reached new heights at Crystal Palace last Friday night when she became the first woman to break the magical five-metre barrier.

The 23-year-old pint-sized Volgograd vaulter twice bettered her week-old record of 4.95m in 10 pulsating minutes.

She first cleared 4.96m then leaped the elusive 5m mark that sent the capacity 18,000 crowd wild.

Runner-up Anna Rogowska and equal third-placed Janine Whitlock, almost unnoticed in the celebrations, raised the Polish and British records to 4.80m and 4.47m respectively.

Isinbayeva, the Olympic champion, who set a previous world best of 4.90m at last year's event, earned $50,000 for her efforts.

She said: "It was my dream to be the first woman to be over 5m. I love the run-up and the stadium here. I don't know how much higher I can go maybe 5.05m."

Sergei Bubka, the men's world record holder, paid tribute to his compatriot, saying: "I reckon 5m for the women is the same as 6m for men."

The men's 100m final, billed as a clash between Olympic champion Justin Gatlin and fastest man in the world Asafa Powell, saw the American storm to victory and set a UK all-comers record of 9.89 seconds. Powell pulled up injured after 10m.

USA's Leonard Scott finished second in a personal best of 9.94secs with world champion Kim Collins third (10.00).

Despite suffering a recurrence of a groin injury the Jamaican, who set a world best of 9.77 in Athens last month, could still participate at the World Championships in Helsinki in two weeks time.

Gatlin, who lowered Powell's UK all-comers record by two-hundredths of a second, said: "I saw in my peripheral vision Asafa go backwards.

"But I didn't know he was injured. That made me hesitate a little, but then I just went on to win and entertain.

"The time was good and I have no problems looking forwards to the World Championships now it's going to be good, if not the best."

Other highlights included Tim Benjamin's surprise win over Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner in the men's 400m, posting a pb of 44.75.

American Wallace Spearman set the fastest 200m time in the world this year (19.89).

Jamaica's Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell was pipped by American Allyson Felix in the women's 200m. The teenager came through strongly to win in 22.16 to consign Campbell to her first loss in five years.

There was a fascinating duel in the final event of the evening, the men's 5000m when Eithopia's Kenenisa Bekele held off a stern challenge from Aussie Craig Mottram.