Romain Mesnil of France in the Pole Vault qualifications (Getty Images)
Angers, France – With a 5.70m leap Romain Mesnil beat Renaud Lavillenie, one of chief highlights of the French National Championships held over the weekend (23-25 July) in Angers.
Teddy Tamgho (17.11m at Triple Jump), Leslie Djhone (45.61 at 400m) and Mehdi Baala (3:45.92 at 1500m) confirmed their national leadership. However the best performance came from World and Olympic Shot Put champion Valerie Vili of new Zealand who threw 20.18m out of competition.
Mesnil - 'Today I was the boss'
The men’s Pole Vault was the highlight of the championships, with the anticipated dual between Lavillenie, the new French star since his 6.01m vault at the European Team Championships in Leiria, and Mesnil, the reigning World and European champion.
Lavillenie showed a good form, being successful at 5.40m and 5.55m at his first attempts. Damiel Dossevi and Jerome Clavier had an erratic debut but managed to jump 5.55m as well. Mesnil, defending his title, was full of confidence and opened his competition at 5.55m, a bar he mastered at his second try. The four athletes didn’t try 5.65m in order to focus on 5.70m, the bar required to go to achieve selection for the World Championships. This height was fatal for Clavier, Dossevi and Lavillenie, while Mesnil was superb on his first attempt.
“I’m satisfied with the title, even though I feel that I didn’t feel alright during my run-ups. I struggled during my 5.70m jump, but I coped with it.” The experienced Mesnil, 32, then had two unsuccessful jumps at 5.90m. “I always have difficulties to keep motivated for higher bars when I’ve won. The main thing was to confirm my leadership, even if Renaud jumped 6m this season, today I was the boss.”
Lavillenie, 10 years younger than Mesnil, utterly disappointed, said, “I will have to bounce back, it’s better to fail here than in Berlin.”
Code: Select all
Perche / TCM | M | Finale directe 1
1 5m70 MESNIL Romain Ac Paris-joinville 094 I-F SEM/77 IB 1158
5m55(XO) / 5m65(-) / 5m70(O) / 5m75(-) / 5m80(-) / 5m85(-) / 5m90(XX)
2 5m55 LAVILLENIE Renaud Cognac Ac 016 POI SEM/86 N1 1115
5m40(O) / 5m55(O) / 5m65(-) / 5m70(XXX)
3 5m55 DOSSEVI Damiel Ca Montreuil 93 093 I-F SEM/83 N1 1115
5m40(XO) / 5m55(O) / 5m65(-) / 5m70(XXX)
4 5m55 CLAVIER Jerome Athletic Trois Tours 037 CEN SEM/83 N1 1115
5m20(XXO) / 5m40(O) / 5m55(XO) / 5m65(-) / 5m70(XXX)
5 5m40 DUME Stevy Clermont Athletisme Auvergne * 063 AUV ESM/88 N2 1072
5m20(O) / 5m40(O) / 5m55(XXX)
6 5m40 FAVRETTO Vincent Lyon Athletisme* 069 R-A SEM/84 N2 1072
5m20(XO) / 5m40(O) / 5m55(XXX)
7 5m20 BASSON Flavien Ea Bourg-en-bresse* 001 R-A ESM/88 N2 1015
5m00(O) / 5m20(O) / 5m40(XXX)
7 5m20 DIAZ Stephane As Saint-junien 087 LIM SEM/78 N2 1015
5m00(O) / 5m20(O) / 5m40(XXX)
7 5m20 FORTIN Fabrice Lagardere Paris Racing 075 I-F SEM/80 N2 1015
5m00(O) / 5m20(O) / 5m40(XXX)
10 5m20 HOMO Sebastien Dynamic Aulnay Club 093 I-F SEM/82 N2 1015
5m00(XXO) / 5m20(O) / 5m40(XXX)
11 5m20 JARMANI Soufiane Martigues Sports Athle 013 PRO SEM/85 N2 1015
5m00(O) / 5m20(XO) / 5m40(XXX)
11 5m20 MILLE Pierrick Ea St Quentin En Yvelines 078 I-F SEM/84 N2 1015
5m00(O) / 5m20(XO) / 5m40(XXX)
13 5m00 DURAND Nicolas Stade Sottevillais 76* 076 H-N SEM/79 N2 958
5m00(O) / 5m20(XXX)
14 5m00 BOISROND Mathieu Viry Evry Nord Sud Essonne * 091 I-F SEM/77 N2 958
5m00(XO) / 5m20(XXX)
14 5m00 CHASTAGNER Aurelien Ca Montreuil 93 093 I-F SEM/81 N2 958
4m80(O) / 5m00(XO) / 5m20(XXX)
14 5m00 TROMP Xavier Lyon Athletisme* 069 R-A SEM/84 N2 958
5m00(XO) / 5m20(XXX)