French pole vault champion 2012, Renaud Lavillenie, was not surprised to have been robbed of his world record on Saturday by Swede Armand Duplantis: "I have known for two years potential". Lavillenie, who crossed 6.16m in February 2014 indoors in Donetsk (Ukraine), was robbed of his record by 20-year-old Swede Armand Duplantis, who crossed 6.17m in Torun (Poland).
"It's not a surprise, we talked for a week, I said to him laughing" Wait until I celebrate my 6th birthday (of his record), after you have free rein ", explained Lavillenie at the microphone of RMC Sport after the indoor meeting in Rouen (northern France), where he failed to cross any bar.
With a sad look, his head in his hands stretched out on the carpet, Renaud Lavillenie suffered three failures at 5.64 m, just a few minutes after learning that he was no longer a record holder in the world. "I have known that it has had the potential for two years. Now the records are made to be broken, I had the honor of having it for six years, I don't have to be disappointed. He has plenty of time in front of him to surely do better, it's beautiful ”.
Reunion between the two men on February 23
"I cannot say that I am super happy, no one on earth could say that he is happy," he added. "" Mondo "I have gotten along very well with him for years, so there is less bitterness". Renaud Lavillenie (33) is due to meet Duplantis on February 23 at the All star perche in Clermont-Ferrand (center), a meeting for which he is the organizer.
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