Renaud Lavillenie after joining the 6m club with his 6.01m clearance in Leiria (© Getty Images)
Two of last season’s breakthrough athletes in the men’s and women’s Pole Vault, Berlin World Championship medallists Renaud Lavillenie of France and USA’s Chelsea Johnson will take on more established rivals and at the 103rd Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on 29 January.
The Millrose Games is an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting, the first of a series of ten meetings in 2010.
France's 23-year-old Renaud Lavillenie, who took the World bronze medal to top an amazing 2009 season will take on two of the USA’s best vaulters of the last decade, both of whom, are 37-years-old: 2004 Olympic champion Tim Mack (PBs 6.01 outdoors and 5.90 indoors - 2004) and Derek Miles (PBs 5.85 indoors and out), the 2008 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher and two-time Millrose winner.
Last year the Frenchman joined the exclusive 6 metres club to head the outdoor world lists with his 6.01m national record (NB. World and Olympic champion Steve Hooker vaulted 6.06m indoors in 2009), and took the European Indoor title. He has an indoor PB from last winter of 5.85m.
In the women’s vault on 29 January, the home tussle expected should be a competition to savour as Chelsea Johnson, who surprised many with her World Championships silver medal in Berlin, will face American women's Pole Vault record holder Jenn (Stuczynski) Suhr.
Unfortunately, Suhr had to pull out of the World Championships due to an Achilles injury, and will obviously be keen to reassert her reputation as America’s best. Suhr’s personal bests are 4.92 outdoors / 4.83 indoors which are Area records, while Johnson has PBs of 4.73 outdoors / 4.50 indoors.
USATF and Chris Turner for the IAAF
