Thierry Vigneron facts for kids
Thierry Vigneron in 2012
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 9 March 1960 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thierry Vigneron (born 9 March 1960) is a former French pole vaulter. He was one of the best pole vaulters in the world during the 1980s. He even broke the world record in pole vaulting four times! He was also the last person to hold the world record before the legendary Sergey Bubka.
Contents
Thierry's Early Career and World Records
Thierry Vigneron was born in Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine. He surprised everyone by breaking the outdoor world record on June 1, 1980. He jumped 5.75 meters, beating the old record held by Władysław Kozakiewicz from Poland.
Just a few weeks later, on June 29, 1980, Thierry equaled his own world record with another 5.75-meter jump. However, another French athlete, Philippe Houvion, soon broke Thierry's record.
Olympic Challenges and More Records
Thierry was a favorite for the 1980 Summer Olympics. But he finished in 7th place, jumping 5.45 meters. Kozakiewicz won the gold medal and also set a new world record of 5.78 meters at those Olympics.
Thierry didn't give up! On June 20, 1981, he set a new outdoor world record by clearing 5.80 meters. But his record was quickly broken just six days later by Vladimir Polyakov from the Soviet Union.
Rivalry with Sergey Bubka
In 1983, another French pole vaulter, Pierre Quinon, set a new record of 5.82 meters. But Thierry quickly took it back! On September 1, 1983, he jumped 5.83 meters, setting his fourth world record. This record stood for a while.
Then came Sergey Bubka, a Ukrainian pole vaulter. In May 1984, Bubka jumped 5.85 meters, breaking Thierry's record. A few weeks later, Thierry won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Bubka was not there because his country boycotted the games.
The Famous Rome Contest
On August 31, 1984, Thierry and Bubka had a memorable competition in Rome. Thierry briefly took back the outdoor world record by jumping 5.91 meters. But almost immediately, Bubka cleared 5.94 meters, setting a new record! This was the last time anyone other than Bubka held the outdoor world record for many years.
Bubka held the outdoor world record until 2020. His indoor world record was broken in 2014 by another French athlete, Renaud Lavillenie. Both of these amazing jumps happened in Bubka's hometown!
Thierry's Achievements and Retirement
Even though Thierry Vigneron had a bronze medal from the 1984 Olympics, and silver and bronze medals from World Indoor Championships in 1985 and 1987, he couldn't match Bubka's records after that.
Thierry also won three gold medals at the European Athletics Indoor Championships (1981, 1984, 1987). He earned silver medals at the Summer Universiade in 1983 and the Mediterranean Games in 1993. He was a very successful athlete.
Thierry Vigneron stopped competing in pole vaulting in 1996.
See also
In Spanish: Thierry Vigneron para niños
- French all-time top lists - Pole vault
- Men's pole vault world record progression
