Renaud Lavillenie at the 2013 UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Reno (© Kirby Lee)
France’s Renaud Lavillinie scaled a world-leading 5.86m and Brazil’s Fabiana Murer won the women’s competition with 4.60m at the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit at the Reno Livestock Events Center, United States, on Friday (18).
Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic and European champion, surpassed his mark of 5.83m set last Saturday on home territory in Aubiere.
Brazil’s Fabio Gomes da Silva was second with 5.60m and Japan’s Daichi Sawano was third with 5.50m. Jordan Scott was the top American in fourth place, also at 5.50m.
The field had been whittled down to just four vaulters when Lavillinie entered the competition at 5.50m. In front of an audience that included Lavillenie’s two immediate predecessors as Olympic champions, USA’s 2004 gold medallist Tim Mack and Australia’s 2008 winner Steven Hooker, Lavillinie had first attempt clearances at 5.80m and 5.86m before taking three unsuccessful attempts at 5.92m in attempt to surpass the meeting record of 5.91m held by Jeff Hartwig since 1999
The French national record holder, with best marks of 6.01m outdoors and 6.03m indoors, was confident of a productive outing after clearing 5.60m in training flats in a workout the previous day at Reno. His next competition will be in Rouen on 26 January.
A notable name in ninth place was 2011 World Championships Decathlon winner and 2012 Olympic Games Trey Hardee silver medallist, who went over 5.20m, his best vault since 2009.
In the women’s competition, Murer need only one jump at 4.50m to win and the 2011 World champion extended her advantage with a third-attempt clearance at 4.60m, the second-best mark in the world this winter, before running through three times at 4.70m
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
Leading results:
Men
1. Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) 5.86m
2. Fabio Gomes da Silva (BRA) 5.60m
3. Daichi Sawano (JPN) 5.50m
4. Jordan Scott (USA) 5.50m
5. Jack Whitt (USA) 5.35m
6. Rens Blom (NED) 5.35m
Women
1. Fabiana Murer (BRA) 4.60m
2. Mary Saxer (USA) 4.40m
3=. Kylie Hutson (USA) 4.40m
3=. Katy Viuf (USA) 4.40m
5. April Kubishta (USA) 4.40m
6. Katerina Stefanidis (GRE) 4.25m
