by Larry EderOn 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. „Im so happy for Renaud and so happy he did it in my home town,” said Bubka. „It 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.
