Golden Rouen

What a beautiful day that was!

( photo by Maxime Delobel)

I love only pole vault events - of course, because I watch only my favorite sport and what is most important, both women's and men's categories.

I am splitting this competition into two different posts, of course, I don't want to mix it up too much and I don't want this post to be too long.

Perche Elite Tour Rouen had the best cast. Maybe we did not see Piotr Lisek (who was watching the event on TV, cheering for the others), Robert Sobera, or Ernest Obiena, but the American - French, plus Swedish, line - up was doing the job perfectly. Only the graphic sometimes didn't...

10th place was taken by Thibaut Collet, who cleared the bar 5.30, 5.45( in the 2nd attempt) and failed at 5.60. It was the bar just 2 centimeters lower than his personal best. Otherwise, his attempts at the beginning looked very good so we can hope for higher jumps of his.

9th - another Collet, Mathieu. Just like his brother, he cleared 5.30, then 5.45 (but in the 3rd attempt). He managed to clear 5.60, which placed him higher than his sibling. He failed at 5.73.

Valentin Lavillenie, younger of the Lavillenie brothers, was 8th. He started his competition at 5.45 which he cleared in his 2nd attempt. Then he quickly took care of 5.60. Unfortunately, he didn't manage to clear 5.73.

The American, Cole Walsh, was 7th. He started vaulting at 5.30, then passed the 2nd attempt at 5.45 and 5.60. In 3rd attempt, he managed to clear the bar at 5.73 but failed at 5.83.

We've got two pole vaulters who are 5th in classification - Jacob Wooten from the United States and Ethan Cormont from France. Their competition looked exactly the same. Every bar cleared in the 1st attempt until the fail at 5.83. They showed themselves from a really good side, so let's hope we are going to see them more in the international meetings.

( Ethan Cormont by @stadion_actu)

The reigning world champion, Sam Kendricks, was 4th. He had some problems yesterday, but as always he clears the bar, he does it in amazing style. He started jumping at 5.30. Then, just like Duplantis and Lavillenie, he had a problem at 5.62, which he cleared in his 3rd and last attempt. 5.73 he cleared very well, in a great style - smiling again. We all know that smiling Sam Kendricks is feeling-well Sam Kendricks. After that, he jumped 5.83 in the last trial. When he missed the jump at 5.91, he moved right to 6.03 which was an attack at his own record. Sam Kendricks failed at this bar, so ended up in 4th place.

(Sam Kendricks by @stadion_actu)

Chris Nilsen - what a great competition by him! He jumped every bar, clearing them in 1st attempts up until 6.03. He was very happy with his result, as he should be. This year, from the very beginning, he is showing that he is in great shape in this very important year. He will be vaulting higher and higher, he is just a great talent. Who knows, maybe he can be a big danger to Lavillenie, Kendricks, and even Duplantis soon?

Renaud Lavillenie was 2nd, alongside Christopher Nilsen. Just like the Swede, Duplantis, he entered the competition at 5.60, which he didn't clear... well, the graphic was saying differently. We don't what caused that - if it was a mistake or something happened and this attempt wasn't counted. Anyway, he jumped it. Next, he attempted 5.83, which he jumped in his 1st trial, and then 5.93. Renaud then was trying to clear 6.03 but didn't manage. The Frenchman was really close and it shows in how good shape he is. It is good to see him back in the game.

(Renaud Lavillenie by @stadion_actu)

Finally, the winner - Mondo Duplantis. Just like Lavillenie, he started to jump from 5.60 which he missed in 1st attempt. After that, every bar he was trying to vault, he cleared. He was jumping on four heights - 5.60, 5.83, 6.03, and 6.19. After clearing 6.03, he took a world lead. He did it in a very good style - everyone was cheering when he showed the gestures that were about to calm us down. We already knew what he wanted to later. As we see, he is in a champion shape and he really wants to jump higher than his own world record from Glasgow. He feels good, he is trying. In the 1st attempt, he fell on the bar. 2nd attempt looked much better and the previous one. 3rd wasn't close at all. Well, after observing we need to say that often Mondo's 2nd attempts at the record like that are the best.

That is how the meeting in Rouen ended. Duplantis himself said that he will come back next year because he still has a meeting record to beat. 

Next -> Lievin. 

(Renaud and Mondo by @stadion_actu)