IAAF President with pole vaulters

RunBlogRun opines: Nice to see Lord Coe speaking with the athletes of all events. The changes that are needed to grow our sport and make it a relevant global sport are going to be tough. It requires support and understanding from the different cultures within the sport.

CLERMONT-FERRAND (FRA): Several of the world’s best elite pole vaulters shared their ideas on how to innovate the sport at an informal forum with IAAF President Sebastian Coe on Saturday in Clermont-Ferrand one day before the All-Star Perche pole vault meet. “It was an honour that the president of the IAAF took time to come and visit me to discover the All Star Perche, especially in a rush period for him only a few days before the world championships,” Lavillenie said. “The moments shared with him and other athletes to speak about the future of our sport were great and really interesting.” The topics discussed varied widely, from the structure of the current competition calendar to the IAAF World Rankings which are due to be put in place at the end of this year. In some areas, a clear consensus emerged. The restructuring of the competition calendar should take the form of a “real league” with the IAAF World Championships staged at the conclusion of the season, they said. Talking specifically of their event, the pole vault, athletes supported the idea of an organised street circuit to follow the stadium season through September and into October. Informs the IAAF. Stanley Joseph won the B competition on Saturday with indoor PB 566 cm.