Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie struck a big blow just before the European Indoor Athletics Championships (March 4-7 in Torun) by winning the All Star Perche with a bar at 6.06 m, Saturday in Aubière (center of France), a height that he had not known since 2014. The 2012 Olympic champion beat the Dutchman Menno Vloon, who smashed his national record (5.96 m), and the American Chris Nilsen (5, 86 m).
He thus signs the second best performance of the year, behind the 6.10 m of the Swedish world record holder Armand Duplantis, Wednesday in Belgrade.
After clearing bars at 5.70m and 5.86m on the first try, Lavillenie passed 5.96m on his 2nd attempt and then 6.06m on his 3rd.
He then tackled the world record (6.18m) but failed at 6.20m.
After two consecutive poor performances, including a disappointing 3rd place at the French indoor Championships, the Frenchman confirms his return to the foreground outlined since the start of the year.
On January 31 in Tourcoing (north), he had passed 6 m (6.02 m) for the first time since March 2016. In the ladies' category, the Briton Holly Bradshaw won with a jump to 4.78 m.
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