Renaud Lavillenie opens 2014 indoor with 5.93m WL clearance! by Alfons Juck, note by Larry Eder

Renaud Lavillenie is one the true superstars of the sport. The French pole vaulter added to his game with his quick wit and easy comfort in both English and French. Add to that the speed of a sprinter, agility of a gymnast, Lavillenie is the best vaulter in the world. Last March, when I watched him at 6.06m, I was awestruck. Lavillenie will clear 6.06m, perhaps 6.08. He is one of the great ones!

And like the great ones, it is obvious that Lavillenie loves his event and his sport.

LAVILLENIE GREAT OPENER: 593

AULNAY SOUS BOIS (FRA, Dec 21): Top shape by Olympic pole vault winner Renaud Lavillenie. He opened his indoor season at the second meet of French series Perche Elite Tour with clearing superb meet record 593 in first attempt. Lavillenie started with 565 in first, then 575 in second try, 583 and 593 both in first attempts and missed only his overall best height of 604. His agent Rene Auguin commented: “He is in very great shape.” He plans now 9 next competitions until World Indoor Championships in Sopot, next is onJanuary 11 another meet of the Perche Tour in Aubiere and plans only three competitions outside France, on January 18 in Reno, 31 in Bydgoszcz andFebruary 15 in Donetsk. Second Kevin Menaldo cleared overall PB 565, third Jerome Clavier and fourth brother Valentin Lavillenie over 553. Women competition winner SwedenÂ´s Angelica Bengtsson achieved 449 ahead of Marion Lotout 443 indoor PB and Portugal record holder Maria Leonor Tavares 443.

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
View all posts