Word Record holder Renaud Lavillenie knows Bislett well

France’s Renaud Lavillenie returns to Oslo’s ExxonMobil Bislett Games not only as the new World Record holder but also as the Olympic Champion. Lavillenie has participated in the Diamond League event in Oslo twice before, in 2010 and 2012, and was a winner on both occasions. Victory at Bislett is a feat that was never accomplished by former greats of the event like former World Record holder Sergey Bubka and Olympic Champion Steve Hooker.

Even in 2010, as a young athlete, Renaud Lavillenie displayed a remarkable affiliation with the crowd and it is something that has become a hallmark of his career, his ability to involve the spectators in the “ups and downs” of his competition. He conveys the excitement and the thrill of success as well as the disappointment and frustration of failure.

The stadium record at Bislett is a remarkable 6.00m by the popular German Tim Lobinger in 1999 and Renaud Lavillenie will certainly be looking at replacing the arena mark of the former World and European Indoor Champion with a new standard.

Bislett of course is known in athletics as “The World Record Track” and way back in the famous sports ground’s history it hosted a World Record in the Pole Vault. In 1925, Norway’s Charles Hoff leapt to an amazing 4.23m, but in those days there was no such thing as flexible poles, nor was there a safe landing area — just some sand or sawdust! Hoff was an extraordinary athlete who when too injured to jump, actually participated in the 800m at the Olympic Games. Whilst many circumstances might have changed since that happy occasion some 90 years ago, one fact has not: Pole Vault is still perhaps the most spectacular of all athletic events and right now Renaud Lavillenie is the best exponent of the discipline.