Lausanne, Switzerland - Less than two weeks before Athletissima takes place on 7 July at the Pontaise stadium, organisers have announced a pole vaulting line-up which is set to hit the heights.

Athletissima is a Super Grand Prix status meeting as part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2009.

Never have so many athletes with personal bests of 6 metres or more gathered in Lausanne.

Australia’s Olympic champion Steven Hooker, who jumped 6.06m last winter, will face France’s rising star Renaud Lavillenie who won at the European Team Championships last Sunday, establishing a new national record at 6.01m, which so far is the leading outdoor performance of this year.

“I will very seriously prepare for this competition because it is important to confirm one’s spot among the best”, said Lavillenie who also took the European indoor title in Turin.

Current World champion Brad Walker of the USA, who has already cleared 6m three times during his career and whose personal best is 6.04m, is the third member of this elite club who will be in combat in Lausanne.

Add to this 6m trio, France’s Romain Mesnil (5.81m) the 2007 World silver medallist, and Germany’s Alexander Straub (5.81m) and Malte Mohr (5.80m), and it is true to say that the Athletissima meeting may well serve as a dress rehearsal for the final of the forthcoming 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin, Germany (15 to 23 Aug).

Yego and Lebedeva also confirmed

In the 800m, Alfred Yego, who claimed the World title in 2007 in Osaka, will be the favourite though he will face a tough field of opponents led by Mohammed Al-Salhi (KSA), who has already clocked 1:43.66 this season.

The women Triple Jump will see the participation of Tatyana Lebedeva (RUS). The multiple global champion in triple and long jumping is the meeting record holder with the 15.33m which she jumped in 2004, just 17cm away from the World record.

Pierre-André Pasche – Athletissima – for the IAAF