Athlete of the year Lavillenie will compete in Berlin

Renaud Lavillenie, the 2014 World Athlete of the Year and pole vault world record-holder, will compete at the ISTAF Indoor meeting on 14 February.

The Olympic champion and three-time European champion will be cheered on by none other than former world record-holder Sergey Bubka. The last time Bubka watched Lavillenie compete indoors, the Frenchman ended up breaking his world record with his 6.16m clearance in Donetsk.

“We are very pleased with the commitment of Renaud Lavillenie,” said meeting director Martin Seeber. “Cooperation with Sergey Bubka will also help us in conversations with other world-class pole vaulters. Of course, it also remains our goal for the best Germans to compete against the best athletes from around the world.”

Lavillenie has only competed in Berlin once before, and that was at the 2009 IAAF World Championships, where he took the bronze medal.

Other events set to feature in Berlin include the 60m, 60m hurdles, shot put and long jump, but one of the highlights will be the discus, rarely staged indoors and with hopes high that the world indoor best could be broken.

Organisers for the IAAF