Duplantis and Lavillenie to Clash in Rouen on Friday

Current and former pole vault world record holders Renaud Lavillenie and Armand Duplantis will clash for the firsr time this season at the Elite Perche Elite Tour in Rouen France on Friday, Feb. 5.

Lavillenie opened his season in mid-January with a then-world leading mark of 5.92m in Bordeaux. Last Friday, he won the men’s pole vault in Karlsruhe for the fourth time in his career clearing 5.95m in his first attempt. 

Armand Duplantis began his indoor season exactly the same way he did last year by winning in Dusseldorf with a world lead of 6.01m on Saturady, Jan. 30. But Lavillenie responded a few hours later with a first-time clearance of 6.02m in a pole vault meet in Tourcoing. 

Two-time world outdoor champion Sam Kendricks from the United States will aslo compete in Rouen.

The women’s pole vault competition will see a class between Greeks Ekaterini Stefanidi, the reigning Olympic champion, Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou, World indoor and European championships medalist,  and Brit Holly Bradshaw, the former European indoor champion. Canada’s national record holder Alysha Newman will also contest in Rouen.

See the event live stream info here.