“Not ready to hang up”: Renaud Lavillenie aims for medals at the World Championships and the Games in Paris

“Mentally I’m not ready to hang up.” Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic pole vault champion (2012), enters this Thursday’s meet in Oslo (Norway) determined to return to the top level after a long break due to injury. “I’m progressing well physically and that’s my priority. I feel like my body is strengthening in an interesting way, although I am still far from my summer standards,” Lavillenie told AFP and daily L’Équipe.

For the first time in his career, the former pole vault world record holder (6.16m in 2014) had to withdraw from the indoor season this winter due to a hamstring injury in order to “fully recover” his body. In Oslo, in particular, facing Swede Armand Duplantis, Lavillenie hopes to confirm the progress made during an internship in Chula Vista (California) in May, which culminated with a jump of 5.46m during the meeting in Los Angeles on May 27.

“I still have technical errors in pole vaulting. That’s why this competition (Oslo) is important, to find that transition, that trigger that I find difficult to create in training. At first, the performances will not be at the highest level. You must accept the time required for construction. »

“Mentally I’m not ready to hang up. I have a longer and more challenging job than usual, but I’m still doing what I love, so there are fewer restrictions,” said the 36-year-old, who hopes to shine at the World Championships in Budapest (August 19 to 27). ) before the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

“I have time. Thanks to my performances last year, I have good opportunities to go to Budapest. I don’t need to rush. “I will be ready,” assured the man who took fifth place in the pole vault competition at the last world championships last year in Eugene (Oregon, USA).