Renaud Lavillenie Clears 6.16 meters (20'-2 1/2 "), by Alfons Juck, EME News

On his ninth attempt of the day, at the Samsung Pole Vault Stars in Donetsk, Ukraine, Renaud Lavillenie cleared 6.16 meters or 20’21/2″, a new world indoor record. Lavillenie broke the nearly twenty-one year old (short one week) world record of Sergey Bubka.

Renaud Lavillenie is now the greatest pole vaulter ever indoors. Just, how high can he go?

MAGIC AIRLAVILLENIE: 616 IS MORE THAN SPECIAL

DONETSK (UKR, Feb 15): It was a very special edition of 25th Samsung Pole Vault Stars in Druzhba Hall of Donetsk (EA Indoor Permit), normally a place for ice-hockey. Sergey Bubka as main organiser witnessed how his best ever jump was broken. Renaud Lavillenie after two first attempts at 576 and 591 cleared in third 601 and went straight to 616. And he made it with nice clearance right in first try. Then he tried once at surreal 621. No, it is not science-fiction, but true. It is the highest ever mark in pole vault (outdoor top mark is 614). Bubka cleared in the same meet on February 21, 1993 615 cm in third attempt. â€žIm so happy for Renaud and so happy he did it in my home town,” said Bubka. â€žIt was just crazy, I tried new poles and it worked,” commented Lavillenie. Briton Luke Cutts as second cleared 581 his second best ever and tried at new UK record height (591 once and 596 twice). Third Brazilian Thiago Bras achieved new South American indoor record 576. Three more cleared 566 (Filippidis, Wojciechowski, Lisek) in positions 4-6. No height for another favorite German Malte Mohr at 556. In women competition before the packed hall 462 was enough to win, on count-back for Fabiana Murer as she did it in second. Tie for second with Silke Spiegelburg and Anna Rogowska, both 462 in third attempt. All three tried at 472, but no success. Fourth French Marion Fiack 457, and fifth and sixth Kylie Hutson of USA and home Ganna Shelekh both 452.

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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