Renaud Lavillenie facts for kids
Lavillenie in 2014
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | French | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 September 1986 Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 69 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Pole vault | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Renaud Lavillenie (born 18 September 1986) is a famous French pole vaulter. He is known for his amazing jumps and many wins.
Renaud won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. He also earned a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Besides the Olympics, he has won many other big competitions. He has three gold medals from the World Indoor Championships. He also has three gold medals from the European Championships. Plus, he has four gold medals from the European Indoor Championships.
Renaud has also won one silver medal and four bronze medals at the World Championships. He holds the French national records for the highest pole vault jumps. His best outdoor jump is 6.05 meters, and his best indoor jump is 6.16 meters. His 6.16-meter indoor jump was the world record for over six years! He was also the top pole vaulter in the IAAF Diamond League for seven years in a row, from 2010 to 2016.
Outside of pole vaulting, Renaud loves motorcycles. He even raced in the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours for motorcycles. His younger brother, Valentin Lavillenie, is also a pole vaulter.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life & Start in Pole Vault
Renaud Lavillenie was born in Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France. His father was also a pole vaulter, so jumping ran in the family! Renaud started competing in pole vault in 2003 when he was 17 years old.
Highlights of Renaud's Pole Vault Career
Breaking Records in 2009
In 2009, Renaud had a great year. He won the European Indoor Championships in Turin. He jumped 5.80 meters indoors.
Later that year, he broke the French national outdoor record. He jumped 6.01 meters in Portugal. This jump was better than the old record of 5.98 meters, which had stood for ten years. At the 2009 World Championships, he won his first major medal, a bronze.
First European Gold in 2010
In 2010, Renaud won his first European Championships pole vault title in Barcelona. He jumped 5.85 meters. He also became the overall winner of the first-ever 2010 IAAF Diamond League.
Setting a New French Indoor Record in 2011
On March 5, 2011, Renaud set a new French national indoor record. He jumped 6.03 meters at the European Indoor Championships in Paris. This was his second gold medal at this event. This jump was one of the highest indoor jumps ever! He also won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships.
In December 2011, Renaud had an accident. His pole snapped, and he broke his left hand. He needed surgery.
Olympic Gold & World Indoor Title in 2012
Renaud came back strong in 2012 after his injury. He won his first World Indoor Championships gold medal. He jumped 5.95 meters, much higher than his competitors.
He then won his second European Championships gold medal in a row. He cleared 5.97 meters.
The biggest win of 2012 was at the London Olympic Games. Renaud won the gold medal by jumping 5.97 meters. This was a new Olympic record! He became the first French track and field Olympic champion since 1996. He also won the 2012 IAAF Diamond League for the third year in a row.
More Wins in 2013
In 2013, Renaud won his third straight European Indoor Championships gold medal. He jumped 6.01 meters without missing any attempts.
Later that year, he broke his own French national outdoor record. He jumped 6.02 meters at the London Grand Prix. He tried to break the world outdoor record of 6.14 meters, but didn't quite make it. He won the Diamond League for the fourth time.
At the 2013 World Championships, Renaud was expected to win gold. However, he won the silver medal instead. He tied with German vaulter Raphael Holzdeppe at 5.89 meters. Holzdeppe won because he cleared the height on his first try, while Renaud needed three tries.
Breaking the Absolute World Record in 2014
Renaud had an incredible indoor season in 2014. He broke his own national indoor record three times.
On February 15, 2014, he made history. At a competition in Donetsk, Ukraine, he jumped 6.16 meters! This was a new absolute world record for pole vaulting. It broke the record set by the legendary Sergey Bubka in 1993. Bubka's record had stood for 21 years. Renaud cleared the bar on his first try, without even touching it.
"It is going to take me some time to come back to earth because it is incredible," Renaud said. Sergey Bubka himself was there and was the first to congratulate Renaud.
After his record jump, Renaud tried to jump even higher, at 6.21 meters. But he had an accident. His pole pushed him backward, and he fell, cutting his left ankle. He needed stitches and had to end his indoor season early. But he was welcomed home as a hero!
2016 Rio Olympics
At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Renaud was the favorite to win gold again. He cleared 5.98 meters easily. However, Thiago Braz da Silva from Brazil, the home country, had an amazing performance. Da Silva skipped 5.98 meters and went for 6.03 meters. He cleared it, setting a new Olympic Record! Renaud tried to beat it but couldn't. He won the silver medal.
During the competition and medal ceremony, some of the crowd booed Renaud. This made him very upset. He later apologized for a comment he made about the incident.
The Ultimate Garden Clash in 2020
When the COVID-19 pandemic stopped most sports events, Renaud came up with a cool idea. He created "The Ultimate Garden Clash." This was an online event where athletes competed from their own backyards. The rules were different: vaulters had to clear a 5-meter bar as many times as possible in two 15-minute periods. Renaud tied with Mondo Duplantis, each clearing the bar 36 times.
Personal Life
Renaud Lavillenie married Anaïs Poumarat in 2018. They had been together for 11 years. Anaïs is also a pole vaulter! They have a daughter named Iris, who was born in July 2017.
Competition Record
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing France | |||||
| 2007 | European U23 Championships | Debrecen, Hungary | 10th | 5.30 m | |
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 13th (q) | 5.55 m | |
| 2009 | European Indoor Championships | Turin, Italy | 1st | 5.81 m | |
| World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | 5.80 m | ||
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 10th (q) | 5.45 m | |
| European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 5.85 m | ||
| Continental Cup | Split, Croatia | 2nd | 5.90 m1 | ||
| 2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 6.03 m | |
| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 3rd | 5.85 m | ||
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | 5.95 m | |
| European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 5.97 m | ||
| Olympic Games | London, England | 1st | 5.97 m | ||
| 2013 | European Indoor Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 6.01 m | |
| World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 2nd | 5.89 m | ||
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 1st | 5.90 m | |
| Continental Cup | Marrakech, Morocco | 1st | 5.80 m1 | ||
| 2015 | European Indoor Championships | Prague, Czech Republic | 1st | 6.04 m | |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 3rd | 5.80 m | ||
| 2016 | World Indoor Championships | Portland, Oregon, United States | 1st | 6.02 m | |
| European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1st (q) | 5.60 m2 | ||
| Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 2nd | 5.98 m | ||
| 2017 | World Championships | London, England | 3rd | 5.89 m | |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | 5.90 m | |
| European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | 5.95 m | ||
| 2019 | World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 15th (q) | 5.60 m | |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 8th | 5.70 m | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 5th | 5.87 m | |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 7th | 5.65 m | ||
1Representing Europe
2No mark in the final
Awards and Honors
Renaud Lavillenie has received many awards for his amazing achievements:
- French Legion of Honour: 2014 (a very high honor in France)
- IAAF Men's World Athlete of the Year: 2014
- Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 2014
- Men's European Athlete of the Year: 2014
- L'Équipe Champion of Champions (International): 2014
- L'Équipe Champion of Champions (France): 2014
Images for kids
-
Renaud Lavillenie at the 2009 European Indoor Championships
-
Renaud Lavillenie in 2012
-
Renaud Lavillenie in 2013
See Also
- 6 meters club
- French records in athletics
- French all-time top lists – Pole vault
