Pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie, 2012 Olympic champion, must withdraw from the Budapest Worlds (August 19-27) due to a hamstring injury, he announced on his social networks on Monday.
“I will take the time to recharge the physical and mental batteries in order to prepare for 2024,” writes the 36-year-old athlete one year from the Paris Olympics. “My body does not allow me to jump in Budapest in good conditions with the return of pain in the tendon of the hamstrings and I therefore choose to forfeit to my greatest regret”, adds this taulier of the France team to 18 international medals.
The former pole vault world record holder had a difficult summer when he did not do better than 5.61 m in seven competitions. He had not managed to cross a single bar on July 30 at the French Championships in Albi.
After a convincing 5th place at the Worlds in Eugene (Oregon, United States) last summer, Lavillenie had skipped the winter season, already to treat his hamstrings.