Renaud Lavillenie matches best ever season’s start with 5.92m, while KC Lightfoot clears 5.94m to begin the year on a high

On a busier weekend in athletics, which included a world indoor record-breaking performance by Hugues Fabrice Zango (click here to read more), there were a number of other strong performances, highlighted below.

Bordeaux, France, January 16

Former world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie cleared 5.92m to win the StarPerche pole vault in Bordeaux, matching his best ever season’s opener, which was achieved in 2011.

He also had attempts at 6 metres.

5m92 en vidéo ? une performance de rentrée qui fait vraiment plaisir ?? surtout sur 16 foulées?
Merci StarPerche ??
? anaislavillenie

— ? @PUMA @PUMARunning @Michelin @TeamMichelin @BRMChrono @foodspring ? — pic.twitter.com/2KlhmbwEit

— Renaud LAVILLENIE (@airlavillenie) January 17, 2021

His younger brother Valentin was second with 5.72m.

Femke Pluim broke the Dutch record to win the women’s competition on countback ahead of Fanny Smets, who set a Belgian record, and Angelica Moser as they all cleared 4.51m.

Lubbock, Texas, USA, January 16

Lavillenie’s world pole vault lead was improved a short while later as KC Lightfoot cleared a 5.94m US collegiate indoor record at the Corky Classic meet.

The 21-year-old also had three attempts at 6.00m.

5.94m clearance by KC Lightfoot at the Corky Classic. pic.twitter.com/f6Dq05wodH

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) January 17, 2021

Takieddine Hedeilli ran 1:45.98 to break the Algerian indoor record, while there was a Nigerian record of 14.28m by Ruth Osoro in the triple jump. She also won the long jump with a 6.51m leap.

College Station, Texas, USA, January 16

Athing Mu moved to second on the world under-20 indoor 800m all-time list at the Ted Nelson Invitational by clocking 2:01.07, just 0.04 off the record mark which was set by Meskerem Legesse in 2004.

Birmingham, Alabama, USA January 16

World 400m champion Steven Gardiner won the men’s 300m in 32.70, while Jessica Beard clocked 37.54 to win the women’s race.

Fargo, North Dakota, USA, January 16

Amy Herrington recorded 20.40m to add 19cm to the UK weight throw best.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, January 16

Britain’s Emma Nwofor opened her season with a 60m hurdles win in 8.28.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 16-17

World bronze medallist Gudaf Tsegay was among the winners at the Olympic candidate trials event as she claimed 1500m victory in 4:02.35.

Other fast times set at 2355m altitude included world 5000m silver medallist Selemon Barega’s 27:58.48 10,000m and World Half Marathon Championships bronze medallist Yalemzerf Yehualaw’s time of 32:02.96.

#Olympic candidate trial today Addis Ababa Stadium #Ethiopia.
Winner Results
WOMEN
Gudaf Tsegay 1500m 4:02.35
Fantu Worku  5000m
Agerw Belachwe  3000m
SC 10:06.45

MEN
Taddese Lemi 1500m 3:40.90
Nibret Melak 5000m 13:42.69
Taddese Takele  3000m SC 8:38.85#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/2GB1Iqp7AZ

— Aman (@angasurunning) January 16, 2021

Ruiru, Kenya, January 16

Rosemary Wanjiru and Charles Muneria claimed victory at the Kenya Prisons Cross Country Championships, winning the 10km races in respective times of 33:44 and 30:01.

Wollongong, Australia, January 16

Rohan Browning clocked a wind-assisted (+3.3m/sec) time of 9.96 to become the second-fastest Australian over 100m in any conditions.

He also won his 60m heat in a wind-assisted 6.62 (+2.8m/s) before running a legal 6.55 (+0.1m/s) in the final.

England Athletics Virtual Road Relay Competition, December 27-January 3

Clubs competed as mixed teams of eight, with each running five miles. The top 50 clubs progressed to round 2 and Windsor won by just 16 seconds from Cambridge and Coleridge, with Wirral a close third.

Matt Dickenson was fastest with 23:57, followed by top M35 Andy Coley-Maud (24:09) and leading M40 Andy Norman (24:18).

Rebecca Johnson was the fastest overall woman with 27:36 and Juliet Hodder the fastest under-20 with 28:28.

Leading W55 Clare Elms (29:49) was easily top of the overall male and female age-grading with 99.46%.

Loughborough Indoor Elite, January 16

Chris Baker cleared 2.15m to win the high jump, while Adele Nicoll threw 15.40m in the shot put.