Lavillenie and Isinbayeva set world leading marks in Donetsk

Renaud Lavillenie cleared 5.93m in Donetsk.

France’s Renaud Lavillenie and Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva both went clear over world-leading heights at the traditional Samsung Pole Vault Stars meeting in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk on Saturday.

Lavillenie, the current European pole vault champion indoors and outdoors, went over 5.93m for his fifth win out of six competitions this winter while Isinbayeva jumped 4.85m at the European Athletics Indoor Permit Meeting.

Lavillenie had to be on top form as he was pressed by local star and 2010 European Athletics Championships silver medallist Maksim Mazuryk.

Both men cleared 5.82m on their second attempts and then initially failed three times at 5.93m, which triggered a jump-off.

The bar was then moved back down to 5.88m, which both men cleared, and then it was raised to 5.93m again which only Lavillenie managed to master.

“The good thing about this meeting is that I jumped with a pole larger than I had never used before. Once I used this pole, for my attempts at 5.88m and above, the jumps were very high, which is encouraging for the future,” said Lavillenie.

“I can look forward with optimism to the French national championships and the European Athletics Indoor Championships in the next weeks,” he added.

Lavillenie set his second indoor personal best of the winter while Mazuryk added six centimetres to his previous absolute best of 5.82m, which he jumped outdoors in Yalta three years ago.

Czech Republic’s 2010 World Indoor Championships finalist Michal Balner finished third with a season’s best of 5.70m but, on his third attempt at 5.82, he broke his pole and injured his hand, getting cuts which required several stitches.

Sadly, his participation in the European Athletics Indoor Championships next month is now in doubt.

Isinbayeva began her competition at 4.60m, which she cleared on her first attempt. After one failure at 4.70m, she went over 4.75m with her first attempt and then had a second time clearance at 4.85m - an improvement on the 2011 world-leading 4.81m which she cleared in Moscow a week ago - before failing three times at a world indoor record height of 5.01m.

“I was feeling excellent today and the conditions were, as every year, very good. Physically and emotionally I am ready to set new world records, but I still do not have enough competition practice,” said Isinbayeva.

Poland’s Anna Rogowska, the 2009 World Championships gold medallist, was second at 4.70m. Behind the leading pair, Czech vaulter Jirina Ptacniková finished third after she headed a group of five others in the 11-strong field who went over 4.60m.

Lavillenie and Isinbayeva are now clear favourites for their events the European Athletics Indoor Championships, which are now only three weeks away.

The 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships will be held in the French capital Paris at the Palais Omnisport Paris-Bercy from 4-6 March.