Perche Elite Tour 2015 - Rouen (France)

[Wan]

Today is the third stage of the Perche Eilte Tour (means "Elite pole vault tour"... think you guessed it !) in Rouen (Normandy, France).
Last year was there the first step for Lavillenie to the world record (with 6.04 m, NR at this time) before Bygdoszcz (6.08 m) and then Donetsk.

Lists of competitors this year :

Men (SB/PB) :
RENAUD LAVILLENIE, FRA (5.92 / 6.16)
RAPHAEL HOLZDEPPE, GER (5.25 / 5.91)
ALEXANDRE FEGER, FRA (5.50 / 5.60)
PIOTR LISEK, POL (5.80 / 5.82)
AUGUSTO DUTRA, BRA ( - / 5.82)
KEVIN MENALDO, FRA (5.45 / 5.75)
VALENTIN LAVILLENIE, FRA (5.60 / 5.70)
HIROKI OGITA, JAP (5.65 / 5.70)
STANLEY JOSEPH, FRA (5.30 / 5.62)
BAPTISTE BOIRIE, FRA (5.40 / 5.50)
NICOLAS HOMO, FRA (5.45 / 5.50)

(bar increase : 5.08, 5.23, 5.38, 5.50, 5.60, 5.70, 5.78, 5.86, 5.93, 6.00, 6.05)

Women (SB/PB) :
MARION LOTOUT, FRA (4.40 / 4.60)
FABIANA MURER, BRA ( - / 4.85)
NIKOLETE KIRIAKOPOULOU, GRE ( - / 4.72)
KATHERINE BAUER, GER (4.40 / 4.60)
ELIZAVETA RYSICH, GER ( - / 4.71)
ANZHELIKA SIDOROVA, RUS ( - /4.72)
MARION FIACK, FRA (4.71 / 4.71)
MARIA RIBEIRO, POR/FRA (4.31 / 4.50)
NINON GUILLON-ROMARIN, FRA (4.21 / 4.21)
CHLOE HENRY, BEL (4.31 / 4.31)
ANAIS POUMARAT, FRA (4.10 / 4.26)

(bar increase : 3.88, 4.03, 4.18, 4.33, 4.43, 4.50, 4.56, 4.62, 4.67, 4.72, 4.77)

The elite competition begins at 8.00 pm local time (1.00 pm CST). 5,200 spectators in the Kindarena stadium in Rouen. A live stream here : http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/haute-normandie/tv/direct (don't know if it will work out of france, if not, use a french server...)

Renaud Lavillenie interviewed yesterday (http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/haute-normandie/2015/01/24/renaud-lavillenie-au-perche-elite-tour-de-rouen-est-jamais-l-abri-d-une-bonne-surprise-639359.html) :
(Interviewer) "Is a new world record possible ?"
(RL) "You never know that before, all is possible. But to beat the event record is a more reasonable goal here, it would be great for me. You don't have to precipitate and do things step by step."

[Wan]

Results :

Men :
1. Renaud Lavillenie : 6.00 m (SB, WL) (5.70 m, 5.86 m and finally 6.00 m with a huge margin on the 3thd attempt, then did try 6.10 m not far away...)
2. Valentin Lavillenie : 5.70 m (SB, =PB)
3. Piotr Lisec : 5.70 m

Women :
1. Nikolete Kiriakopoulou : 4.67 m (SB)
2. Marion Fiack : 4.56 m (with new stiffer poles received just in the morning... let's see next weeks when she get accustomed to it...)
3. Fabiana Murer : 4.56 m

Happy to see Raphael Holzdeppe back... 5.60 m today (didn't jump such a height since 2013, confidence seemed to be back for him today). Happy too for Kevin Menaldo, same height (began this season with an injured hand during training this winter).
It was a really great show tonight !

P.S. : RL used a new 5.20m/14.0 pole today for his successfull 3thd attempt at 6.00 m and for his 3 attempts at 6.10m (Last year : WR with a 5.20 m/13.8 and 6.08 with a 5.20m/14.3)

[Wan]

A vid of RL's 6.00 m jump --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC1_vdhvmwc

Another one with all his jumps --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwC11emEfCg&feature=youtu.be&a
(watch the pole changing between 1st and 2nd try at 6.00 m)

[canag]

Great to see Holzdeppe back in the PV! Very nice 5.60 make from 14 steps, great form, more to come for sure this season. And he seems to have switched to spirit poles.

http://youtu.be/4QzC5JAng9A