Injury knocks world record holder out of competition

By Scott Bush, DyeStat Editor

Indoor and outdoor pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie has decided to shut down his 2017 indoor campaign citing injury, the Times of India reported Wednesday. 

According to Lavillenie's coach, the Frenchman has a weak hamstring that's forcing him to compensate, so instead of pushing through the issue, Lavillenie and his team have decided to shut down his indoor season in order to get the proper rest necessary to start the outdoor season fully healthy. 

A model of consistency, and a challenger for the victory nearly every time he steps on the pole vault runway, Lavillenie was having a rough start to his season, finishing sixth at the Clermont-Ferrand meeting just over a week ago. His finish left him with an 18-8.75 (5.71m) seasonal best, ranking him eighth in the world and well off his indoor world record of 20-2.5 (6.16m) set in 2014.

Lavillenie is scheduled to compete at the Prefontaine Classic on May 27, where he'll face off at historic Hayward Field against fellow Rio Olympic medalists Thiago Braz da Silva of Brazil and American Sam Kendricks.