New WORLD RECORD.. 6.16m!!

Renaud Lavillenie has had a fabulous indoor season this year - his 6.04m jump made headlines, and then again his 6.08 meter jump which was a new French Record. But two weeks later he bettered it again - with a WORLD RECORD jump - 6.16m. (20' 2.5"). It is a beautiful jump... and cleared on his first attempt at it! Sergey Bubka had held the world record since 1984 (when he first set it at 5.81m... 19' ) and set the last world record of 6.15 in 1993... at the same meet, Donetsk, that Renaud clears it at!

A little bit about Renaud's jumping - first you should know that he is not a very big guy. Unlike Sergey Bubka who was quite the athletic specimen with his tall, strong build, Renaud Lavillenie is 5'9" tall and 152 lbs. He may not be tall, but he is FAST. Lavillenie runs from 20 steps (the running joke is that you know it is the off season if Renaud is running from 14 steps) and puts on some serious speed down the runway. He hasn't clocked the worlds fastest 100 meters by any means, but with a pole in his hands, he is one of the fastest men ever! Renaud MAKES SPACE! Have you heard me say you want to vault like you are 6 or 7 feet tall? Well, Renaud does exactly that - His arms are completely extended before take off (Hollow!)

and then again how extended they are after he realigns... (there is no pulling there!) Some more views of the world record:

This is a great angle to see all the space he is creating. 

A great slow motion shot by Steve Chappel (maker of UCS Spirit poles... the poles Renaud is jumping on!)