Athletics: Lavillenie out of world indoor championships

New pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie has pulled out of next month's world indoor championships in Poland because of an injured ankle

Paris: New pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie has pulled out of next month's world indoor championships in Poland because of an injured ankle.


Renaud Lavillenie

The Frenchman, who set the new world mark of 6.16 metres in Donetsk on Saturday, later opened a wound on the inside of his left ankle after falling back while attempting to clear 6.21 metres.

"I am withdrawing (from the world indoors) because I have a big laceration, but it is nothing too serious," the Olympic champion told a news conference.

"I need to take two weeks off without putting any weight on my foot and it's just not possible (to compete)."

The world championships will be held in the Polish city of Sopot from March 7-9

Lavillenie said that he had already won the world indoors title two years ago and that his world record leap, which broke the 21-year-old mark of 6.15 set by Ukraine legend Sergei Bubka, had opened up new horizons for him.

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