Renaud Lavillenie

Former pole vault world record holder.

Renaud Lavillenie was born on 18 September 1986 in Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France, the son of a pole vaulter, Gilles, and reportedly experienced his first taste of the sport on a beach with his father at just four years old, before making his competition debut in 2003 at 17. Lavillenie won Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games with an Olympic record clearance of 5.97 metres, and delivered the defining moment of his career on 15 February 2014 in Donetsk, Ukraine, breaking Sergey Bubka's 20-year-old world record by clearing 6.16 metres in the legendary bowler's own presence. Lavillenie won the IAAF Diamond League pole vault title seven consecutive years, from 2010 to 2016, and took Olympic silver at the 2016 Rio Games, though he faced sustained booing from the home crowd after criticising Brazilian gold medallist Thiago Braz's celebrations. Lavillenie's world record stood for over six years until Armand Duplantis surpassed it in 2020, and he has continued competing at the top level, remaining one of the most decorated pole vaulters in the sport's history alongside a keen secondary career as a motorcycle racer, having competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Technical precision with exceptional speed and agility on the runway

One of the greatest pole vaulters in history, held outdoor world record from 2014-2020

• 2012 Olympic gold pole vault
• 2016 Olympic silver pole vault
• WR 6.16m indoor