Thierry Vigneron facts for kids
Thierry Vigneron in 2012
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Medal record
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Thierry Vigneron (born on March 9, 1960, in Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine, France) is a retired French pole vaulter. He was one of the best pole vaulters in the world during the 1980s.
Thierry broke the world record in pole vaulting four times. He was the last person to hold the world record for a short time in August 1984 before Sergey Bubka. Bubka then held the record for nearly 30 years.
Contents
Thierry's Amazing Career
Thierry Vigneron became famous very quickly. On June 1, 1980, he surprised everyone by jumping 5.75 meters. This jump beat the outdoor world record of 5.72 meters, which was held by Poland's Władysław Kozakiewicz.
Breaking World Records
Thierry equaled his own outdoor world record of 5.75 meters on June 29, 1980. Even though another French athlete, Philippe Houvion, broke his record on July 17, 1980, Thierry was still a favorite for the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, he finished in 7th place with a jump of 5.45 meters. Kozakiewicz won the Olympic gold and also took back the world record with a jump of 5.78 meters.
On June 20, 1981, Thierry Vigneron set a new outdoor world record again, jumping 5.80 meters. But he lost it just six days later to Soviet Union's Vladimir Polyakov.
Rivalry with Sergey Bubka
Another French pole vaulter, Pierre Quinon, set a new outdoor world record of 5.82 meters on August 28, 1983. Just a few days later, on September 1, 1983, Thierry Vigneron jumped 5.83 meters, setting another world record. This record lasted until May 26, 1984, when Sergey Bubka jumped 5.85 meters. This happened just weeks before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Thierry won a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics. Bubka was not there because his country boycotted the games. On August 31, 1984, after the Olympics, Bubka and Vigneron had a memorable competition in Rome. Thierry briefly took back the outdoor world record by jumping 5.91 meters. But right after that, Bubka jumped 5.94 meters! This was the last time anyone other than Bubka held the outdoor world record. Bubka held the outdoor world record until September 17, 2020, with a jump of 6.14 meters.
Interestingly, Bubka's indoor world record of 6.15 meters was broken by another French athlete, Renaud Lavillenie, who jumped 6.16 meters on February 15, 2014. Both of these amazing jumps happened in Donetsk, Ukraine, which is Bubka's hometown.
Later Career and Retirement
The competition in Rome was a highlight of Thierry Vigneron's career. He continued to win medals, including a bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics, a silver at the World Indoor Championships in 1985, a bronze at the World Indoor Championships in 1987, and a silver at the 1987 World Championships in Rome. However, he was never able to beat Bubka's records again.
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
