Romain Mesnil of France in the Pole Vault qualifications (© Getty Images)
As the silver medallist in Osaka this summer, Romain Mesnil added his name to the list of French pole vaulters who have taken a medal at the World Championships, after Thierry Vigneron (silver in Rome 1987) and Jean Galfione (bronze in Gothenburg 1995). Now the 30-year-old athlete has set himself the highest ambitions for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with the aim to join Galfione (1996), Pierre Quinon (1984) and Fernand Gonder (1906) as French Olympic champions in his event.
Osaka focus
Mesnil made a modest debut to his 2007 indoor campaign in January (13), 5.43m in Bordeaux, his hometown. “I didn’t want to take a single risk. I needed to time to care of my health and find focus a new after my success in Gothenburg (silver medal at European Championships in August 2006),” explains Mesnil. As a result, the 2007 European Indoor Championships in Birmingham weren’t part of his plans, and even his satisfying 5.70m in Aubiere on 9 February didn’t change his mind.
Training specifically for Osaka with George Martin, his coach since 2004, Mesnil maintained nice form throughout the outdoor season, jumping 5.75m in Forbach on 27 May and taking second place at the European Cup the following month. By 25 July, Mesnil was back at the top of his game with 5.82m in Monaco, his best jump for four years. With that result the former student in Aeronautics finally overcame several dodgy years of form.
Discovering the Pole Vault after years of gymnastics, Mesnil cleared 3.20m at age 15. He conquered his first 5m bar 3 years later. In 1999, he won the European under 23 title with 5.93m, a Championships record and National Record, and this moment remains his best memories of the sport so far.
“At that time, I quickly had good results because I was simply gifted, I only did sports for pleasure,” Mesnil recalls.
In 2003, Mesnil faced his biggest disappointment as he no heighted in the qualification round at the World Championships in Paris on 26 August, failing to pass his opening height, an overly ambitious 5.70m. A few days earlier in Castres (6 Aug) he had set a new personal best of 5.95m and at the time estimated that if he wasn’t able to pass 5.70m at the World Champs, he wouldn’t have been able to fight for a medal anyway!
Burying the ghosts of 2004 and 2005
Now 30 and a father of a 3 year-old-boy, Sohan, Mesnil confirms that his 2006 European silver medal in Gothenburg gave him reassurance for the 2007 season, allowing him to overcome the difficult experiences of 2004 and 2005 when he was plagued with unsteady results and underwent ankle surgery.
His 5.82m third place in the 2007 Monaco meet (25 July) behind Steven Hooker (USA) and Danny Ecker (GER) reconfirmed that his form was again on the rise just prior to Osaka.
“My legs were good early in the competition, but I soon felt empty”, revealed the 1.88m / 82kg athlete who immediately embarked on a month of hard training based on endurance and speed which sharpened up his physical condition prior to the World Championships in Japan.
Qualified for the final with clearances at 5.50m and 5.70m, Mesnil opened his competition in the final two days later at 5.66m and started to feel good after being successful at 5.81m. Still, seven other jumpers had cleared 5.81m, making Osaka final the highest level World Championships final ever.
“At 5.86m, I felt I had wings, I was certain to clear the bar,” recalls the Frenchman Mesnil who made it at his second attempt, while Brad Walker (USA) cleared the same bar on his first try. However, Hooker, Ecker and his German fellow countryman Bjorn Otto and Israeli Aleksandr Averbukh all failed to clear 5.86m or saved trials for 5.91m. The suspense ended after no one managed to jump that height, and victory went to Walker.
“In my last attempt, I slightly touched the bar, a small technical mistake that I regularly do in training”, regrets Mesnil.
Nothing to deflect him from Beijing goal
Yet two medals in major championships in two years has turned the pole vaulter from an inconstant athlete into a serious candidate for Beijing Olympic Games. Mesnil sums it up - “After my failures, I have learned how to fight during competition.”
Mesnil resumed training in October for his Olympic campaign with a mixture of running and jumps as well as pole vault sessions in Pyla, which has the highest sand hills in Europe.
His first competition is planned to occur on 12 January 2008 in Oyonnax, Perche Elite Tour, an event exclusively dedicated to Pole Vault, performed with music chosen by the competitors. A few more indoor meetings should come next, including National Indoor Championships on the new surface track in Bordeaux.
However, he is likely to miss World Indoor Championhips, “unless I’m very well set up technically,” as his preparation are focused towards the Olympic Games, for which he is already qualified thanks to his excellent 2007 results.
P-J Vazel for the IAAF
