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They say history repeats. It sure did on Saturday night as French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie broke Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka’s 20-year old record at the same Ukranian city of Donetsk.
Competing at the indoor Pole Vault Stars meet in Bubka’s hometown Donetsk, Lavillenie cleared 6.16m with astonishing ease on the first attempt to overtake Bubka’s mark of 6.15m, set in the same meet in 1993.
Lavillenie, the London 2012 Pole Vault gold medalist, could hardly believe what he had pulled off.
“For me, Bubka remains one of the best athletes of all time — of course in pole vault, but in track and field in general. And to think that I’ve beaten him — it was unthinkable just a few years ago,” Lavillenie said on French news channel BFM TV. “My phone is ringing every 15 seconds. There it goes again. I have moved into another dimension … it’s just pure joy.”
As Bubka watched on from the stands, Lavillenie cleared the 6.16m mark and looked at the bar in disbelief at what he had just accomplished. The Frenchman, as replays showed, was not even close to touching the bar on his world record vault.
“I had 10 great days of training, so I knew coming in that I was in good shape, my warm-up was perfect,” Lavillenie said. “I felt like I really could do something — perhaps not doing it so easily.”
“It’s going to take me some time to come back to earth because it’s incredible,” Lavillenie said. “This is a world record that is so mythical, and to clear it on the first jump, without touching (the bar) — there’s nothing to say. It’s just a moment to savor.”
Once it struck him that he was now the new world record holder, Lavillenie held his head in his hand, looked wild-eyed and then pumped his arms in delight, before running with his arms outstretched to soak up the atmosphere.
“I lifted off the ground. I went over the bar, and then what? Loud noise, everybody’s hugging you — it’s simply incredible,” Lavillenie said.
Bubka too was quick to come on to the track and congratulate the Frenchman and also hugged Lavillenie.
“It’s great, a historical moment. It’s really an incredible performance,” Bubka told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “I’m very happy I passed the baton to such a great athlete and such a great personality and role model.
“I always felt it can happen. I hoped it would be soon,” Bubka added. “I said the other day he has taken another step. He has moved to another level, he’s ready.”
Bubka, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist and still the holder of the outdoor record in Pole Vault, had spoken to Lavillenie about the indoor record on Friday.
“This is great for athletics, great for the sport,” Bubka told AP. “Renaud has everything. He has the skills and the knowledge.”
Bubka’s outdoor record of 6.14 set in 1994 hasn’t been threatened as yet but Bubka thinks Lavillenie could make the outdoor record his own too.
“Of course, for sure,” Bubka said. “When I retired, I knew it was time for a new generation. This is my duty, my job to serve athletics and help the new athletes to be successful.”
