French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie suffers from a sprained left ankle after injuring himself just before the start of the Sotteville-Lès-Rouen meeting, less than two weeks before the opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games (23 July- August 8), we learned from his management. The 2012 Olympic champion landed badly on the side of the landing mat and had to forfeit. He had tests at the hospital which revealed a sprain.
“His participation in the Olympics is not called into question”, according to his supervision. Lavillenie will now have two or three days off before starting the medical protocol to be put back on its feet. The qualifications for pole vault at the Olympics are scheduled for July 31. “Clearly not the ideal scenario for my last competition before the Olympics,” Lavillenie then wrote on Twitter. I leave the clinic with an “encouraging” verdict: no fracture, a big sprain. The countdown begins “
Clearly not the ideal scenario for my last competition before the Olympics.
Injured to the left ankle following a poor reception on the mat.
I leave the clinic with an “encouraging” verdict: no fracture, a big sprain 🙌🏼.
The countdown has started 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/M9J9gFu5X8– Renaud LAVILLENIE (@airlavillenie) July 11, 2021
The former world record holder (34) is one of the main chances for a French medal in athletics at the Olympic Games. After several seasons marred by injuries, the Clermontois had finally regained heights of more than six meters this winter (6.06 m) before being hit in the calf and forfeiting the European Indoor Championships in Torun.
After a six-week break, Lavillenie got off to a good start to the summer season as he is the 2nd best performer of the year (5.92 m) behind the untouchable Swede Armand Duplantis (6.10 m), record holder. of the world (6.18 m) and the favorite of the Games.