Four world leaders in Lievin, along with Stefanidi clearing season-best 15-10

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Greek pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi needed to clear only one bar Tuesday to secure her 18th consecutive victory at the Meeting Lievin in France.

Stefanidi, the reigning Olympic and World champion, went on to achieve a season-best clearance of 15 feet, 10 inches (4.83m) on her second attempt to complete a sweep of three meets in seven days in France, including Paris and Rouen. She missed three attempts at 16-1.25 (4.91m), which would have been a world-leading clearance and a new indoor personal best.

Stefanidi remains ranked third in the world this season behind American Sandi Morris (16-0.75/4.90m) and neutral athlete Anzhelika Sidorova (15-11.75/4.87m), who captured a silver medal for Russia at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships.

Stefanidi, who has won eight in a row indoors, continues to close in on the overall streak of 23 straight victories by Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva from August 2006 to February 2008. Stefanidi is scheduled to vault next Feb. 25 at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, Scotland in her final tuneup before competing March 3 at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, U.K.

Brazil's Almir dos Santos extended his world lead in the triple jump with a fourth-round leap of 57 feet (17.37m). He ranks second all-time indoors in Brazil, trailing only the 2006 national record 57-7.50 (17.56m) of Jadel Gregorio.

Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti clocked a world-leading 3:35.39 in the men's 1,500 and Ethiopia's Selemon Barega raced to a world lead in the men's 3,000 with a 7:36.64 effort.

Ethiopia's Habitam Alemu equaled the world lead in the women's 800 of Great Britain's Laura Muir by running 1:59.69.