2018 Shanghai Diary DL: Healthy once again, Renaud Lavillenie wins Shanghai on less misses, staying undefeated in 2018

Renaud Lavillenie, photo by PhotoRun.net

Renaud Lavillenie is on a roll. His win at the World Indoor, against Sam Kendricks, Piotr Lisek, and Raphael Holzdeppe, to name but a few, gave him a renewed confidence.

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His jumping so far this spring, including a 5.95 meter clearance in Austin, Texas shows a man who has regained fitness and is healthy after a time of fitness challenges.

RT to vote for Renaud Lavillenie as your #athleteofthemonth for April!
Lavillenie extended his world-leading mark in the pole vault to 5.95m at the Texas Invitational in Austin.
Voting closes at 12:00 CET on Saturday 5 May. pic.twitter.com/2MAVKP0MvH
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) May 2, 2018

In Shanghai, Renaud Lavillenie was dealing with weather and jet lag, as were the other vaulters. Lavillenie passed at 5.31 meters, 5.46 meters and 5.61 meters. Renaud took 5.71 meters on his second attempt. He also took two attempts at 5.81 meters, and like Lisek made three attempts at 5.86 meters. Lavillenie won as Lisek needed three attempts at 5.81 meters.

Here is @airlavillenie‘s second time clearance over 5.81 that proved enough to earn the win on countback in Shanghai and remain unbeaten so far this season in the men’s PV pic.twitter.com/M85Uh5kQEv
— Costas Goulas (@lsabre_Avenger) May 12, 2018

This win is a nice way to start the dL for Lavillenie. The bottom line is, unlike the past three years, Renaud is healthy and confident.

How does @Airlavillenie prepare for the #ShanghaiDL?
Seven-time Diamond Trophy winner Renaud Lavillenie… https://t.co/ZPUN23muL6
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) May 11, 2018

“I am feeling happy. It was not an easy day today. The conditions were very hard. It was nice to get the win (Lavillenie’s first at the Shanghai meet since 2014). There is definitely more room for improvement. I only jumped off 16 steps today and my full run up is 20. The most important thing for me is I am injury- free, and I wasn’t last season.”

The men’s pole vault continues to be on of our most entertaining events ont he circuilt.

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."
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