European pole vault champion Lavillenie breaks hand | 08.12.2011

French pole vault star Renaud Lavillenie will be out of action for the next few weeks following an accident during a training session on Monday.

France's 2010 European Athletics Championships pole vault gold medallist Renaud Lavillenie will have an operation after breaking his left hand in a training accident, the French athletics federation has announced.

The incident happened when the French record holder's pole broke into three pieces during a vault on Monday.

Lavillenie, who cleared 6.03m to win in front of his friends and family at the 2010 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris back in March and also won a bronze medal at this summer's IAAF World Championships, had the operation on Wednesday.

After his pole shattered in his hand, Lavillenie landed heavily on his lower back but he escaped with only heavy bruising in the lumbar region.

Lavillenie will have to rest for another two weeks before a decision is made about when he can return to training and how it will affect his preparations for the indoor season.

He had been planning several competitions at the start of 2012 before contesting the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul next March.