Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) on his way to the 2009 European Indoor title in Turin (© Getty Images)
Forbach, FranceThe new French generation was in verve in Forbach on Sunday (31 May) with Renaud Lavillenie vaulting 5.80m and Christophe Lemaitre speeding 100m in 10.03 sec (wind +4.9), the main performance during a sunny and windy day.
A dual was keenly expected between pole vaulters Romain Mesnil, silver medallist at World and European Championships, and Renaud Lavillenie, nine years younger and the new leader in France since his European Indoor title in March.
Mesnil struggled to find his mark as he opened as low as 5.05m and needed three attempts to jump 5.25 and 5.45. Lavillenie had no problem at 5.25 and 5.40.
However, the advantage turned in Mesnil’s favour as he was successful at 5.60 at his second try, while Lavillenie did his at his third. At 5.70, the scenario switched and boosted Lavillenie to jump 5.80 after a narrow first miss. Mesnil was unsuccessful at this height and finally placed second with 5.70.
Lavillenie’s performance placed him at the second position in current world season lists, and was his best ever outdoor performance (previous best 5.70m, 5 May 2009) though he has an absolute career best of 5.81m (indoors) from his international breakthrough winter this year.
World Junior 200m champion last season, Christophe Lemaitre, still 18, showed a slice of his immense talent when winning the 100m in 10.03sec. Timed in 10.28 (w+0.1) in heats, Lemaitre took benefits of the advantageous wind (+4.9, well over the +2.0 limit) in final, allowing him to run much faster than his 10.26 personal best set last year and match a few weeks ago, in spite of a modest start. It might just be a matter of time before he improves under legal conditions the French junior record (10.19) held by Eddy Delepine since 2004.
In all conditions, Lemaitre is now the 6th best Junior performer behind Leonard Scott 9.83 (wind +7.1), Walter Dix 9.96 (+4.5), Mark Lewis-Francis 9.97 (wind gauge malfunctioned), Darrel Brown 10.01 (0.0, actual World Junior Record) and Jeffery Demps 10.01 (+1.7).
Lemaitre’s training partner Pierre-Alexis Pessonneaux placed 2nd in heats (10.59) and final (10.29).
Djhone pulls up in season opener
Other French hopes, hurdler Dimitri Bascou and quarter-mile Yoann Decimus won their respective events in 13.69 sec (110m Hurs) and 46.61 sec (400m).
Leslie Djhone, Olympic finalist last year, didn’t take part in the 400m and chose instead to open his season with a 300m instead, Unfortunately, Djhone had to stop the race after 50m as he felt a pain in his left quadriceps, coming from an old injury.
The throws also provided interesting performances as Yves Niaré (19.85) beat Gaëtan Bucki (19.41) in the Shot Put, German Alexander Vieweg threw the Javelin to 79.00m and Amélie Perrin won the Hammer Throw with 68.30m.
Local-based Mélanie Skotnik took the High Jump with 1.92m and Julien Kapek won tightly contested Triple Jump event with 16.63m, from Jules Lechanga (16.57) and Colomba Fofana (16.45).
P-J Vazel for the IAAF
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