The year 2021 is off to a good start for Renaud Lavillenie.
This Saturday, the 2012 Olympic pole vault champion won the Bordeaux round of the Pole Vault Elite Tour.
Better, in Bordeaux, he did it with style by erasing a bar at 5.92 m.
After clearing 5.52m on his first attempt and then 5.72m on his second, the former world record holder (6.16m) needed two attempts to pass 5.82m then 5.92m and win clearly ahead of his brother Valentin (5.72 m).
Philippe d'Encausse's protege then asked for a bar at 6 m, which he failed to erase.
The Frenchman has not reached this height since March 17, 2016.
👊🏼 5m92 👊🏼
StarPerche #foreverfaster @PUMA @PUMARunning
📸 @ThomasMaheux pic.twitter.com/Z6H91jYOlT
- Renaud LAVILLENIE (@airlavillenie) January 16, 2021
"There are a lot of good signals," Renaud Lavillenie analyzes after his performance to our colleagues from L'Équipe.
We're not going to ignite yet, but I would be wrong not to savor this.
Even though I know the competition is tough, I am giving myself the means to achieve it.
»Visibly happy with his performance, Lavillenie is starting 2021 on a good footing.
🔥 Renaud Lavillenie won the men's competition of the meeting ⭐ #StarPerche de Bordeaux with 5.92 m, his best return indoors in his career with that of Aubière 2011, so 10 years ago!
👏
📸 M. Tourault / @stadion_actu pic.twitter.com/nNYc2HsCjo
- FFA (@FFAthletisme) January 16, 2021
With this jump to 5.92 m, Renaud Lavillenie even signs his best start to the season since 2011 indoors.
Ten years ago, at his home in Puy-de-Dôme in Aubière, he had achieved a similar performance.
Who said that at 34 the Clermontois was finished?
Free of all physical worries, Renaud Lavillenie is already qualified for the European Indoor Championships which will take place from March 5 to 7 in Torun (Poland).
A trip he will make with his brother Valentin, who has also validated his ticket.
If Renaud Lavillenie follows his provisional program, the rest is now in Germany in Karlsruhe (January 29), then in Tourcoing (January 31), Rouen (February 6), Liévin (February 9) and finally in Val-de-Reuil ( February 14th).
Then direction Miramas (February 21) with the French Elite Indoor Championships, followed by Aubière (February 27) before the Polish Euro.
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