FranceBiography
Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie is a two-time Olympic medallist. Lavillenie claimed Olympic gold at London 2012 before losing out to home favourite Thiago Braz in Rio de Janeiro four years later.
He broke Sergei Bubka's 20-year-old world record (6.15m) in Donetsk, Ukraine in 2014 with a vault of 6.16m. This leap has been considered a major landmark in the history of sport. The tremendous mark stood till 2020, when Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.17m in Torun, Poland. Despite not winning a World Championship title,
Renaud Lavillenie claimed five medals (1 silver, 4 gold) total in his career. He won three European Championships gold medals and a bronze and has been the pole vault overall winner of the IAAF Diamond League in seven consecutive years, from 2010 to 2016. He is one of the 24 members of “six meters club”, pole-vaulters who have reached at least 6.00m (Sergey Bubka is the first pole vaulter to clear six metres, in 1985.)
TRIVIA
♦ His father and younger brother Valentin is a pole-vaulter. Valentin represented his country at European and World levels as well.
♦ 2003 marked the first year as Renaud made his pole vault competition debut at the age of 17.
♦ Likes riding motorbike on motor racing circuits. He raced in the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours.
♦ When he was 27, his close friend courage him and he had flown for the first time by a plane, which is used to train fighter pilots.
♦ Book on him:
Renaud Lavillenie: Toujours Plus Haut by Jean-Philippe Bouchard, Nicolas Herbelot, Renaud Lavillenie
Text by Evren Özüyener