by Alfonz Juck
Sam Kendricks, Mondo Duplantis, Renaud Lavillenie, photo by PhotoRun.netRunBlogRun opines: This was an amazing event! Check out the comments from Alfons and also the instagram from Mondo Duplantis and Renaud Lavillenie. If we want our sport to grow, it is not about more events, it is about better events, then stream the living heck out them, provide social media interaction and bring in more fans.
Kendricks and Lavillenie 593 in superb competition
CLERMONT-FERRAND (FRA, Feb 25): All Star Perche meet was a historical one as 8 jumpers cleared 581 or more. Sam Kendricks in first went over 593, WL and indoor PB and that was the winning jump at the end of the day. Home hero and organiser Renaud Lavillenie did the same in third attempt. Both did not clear 598 afterwards. Next five jumpers cleared 588 and on count back third Pawel Wojciechowski indoor PB, fourth Axel Chapelle huge PB, fifth Mondo Duplantis World Indoor U20 record (it was already when clearing 581), sixth Piotr Lisek and seventh Kevin Menaldo also big overall PB. 2015 World champion Shawn Barber was 8th with 581 with 2014 World indoor winner Kostadinos Filippidis 9th 573 and 2013 World champion Raphael Holzdeppe 10th also 573. The results for positions 5, 6 and 7 are best ever indoor or outdoor. Barber tied the best ever 8th place. US World leader Katie Nagoette won the women competition on count back over 2014 European Champion Anzhelika Sidorova with 486. They both tried at 492 what would not only be a WL but also life-time best for both. Third Ninon Guillon-Romarin improved French record to 472. Fourth Alysha Newman and also fifth Maryna Kylypko along with Lisa Ryzih and Irina Zhuk and Nina Kennedy all jumped 462. Kylypko was happy with national record, but then fell badly on her back in her 3rd try at 472. After visiting the hospital she was released and will fly back home on Monday. Also Belarus record for Zhuk.
RunBlogRun opines: This is how single event competitions should be! The pole vault competition brought together many of the finest vaulters in the world. Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie cleared 5.93 meters and they now share the world leader. Mondo Duplantis set U20 at 5.81m, and finished at 5.88m another new U20 WR.
