Lavillenie gets 5.82m opener at Tignes

TIGNES (FRA, Jan 10): World record holder Renaud Lavillenie opened the indoor season 2019 in great style. At the Tignes Pole Vault meet in the ski resort in altitude he cleared all heights 551, 565 and 582 in first attempt. After that he closely missed three times 590. Second place Thiebaut Collet and tie for third Mathieu Collet with Romain Gavillon and also fifth Stanley Joseph and sixth Ethan Cormont, all five jumped 541. “It was not so simple. Last year (he had also made his first meet in Tignes), I had a good session on Tuesday to assimilate altitude and travel. This time, because of this injury (shin splints on the top of the tibia in the right knee), I had no landmarks, I was almost blind, not sure poles that I could use. Nevertheless, I managed to be pretty technically fine. The big satisfaction is to pass the first three bars on the first try, without much difficulty. At 590, I had to change the pole, there is less margin,” he said for L´Equipe. His next competition will be on January 19 in Nevers.