Two Frenchmen reach podium in pole vault

French athletes Romain Mesnil and Renaud Lavillenie have won the silver and bronze medals at the men’s pole vault during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin. Australian Steven Hooker took first place.

It’s the third French medal in the IAAF World Athletics Championships, after Bob Tahri’s bronze medal in the 3000m steeplechase.

Hooker added the world pole title to his Beijing Olympics gold medal by clearing 5.90m. The 27-year-old, whose personal best of 6.06m makes him the second highest vaulter in history, showed his confidence by sitting out the early rounds and only came in at 5.85m which he failed to clear.

But he opted to raise the bar and nailed 5.90m at his first attempt which was enough to give him the gold medal with Frenchmen Romain Mesnil (5.85m) claiming the silver and Renaud Lavillenie (5.80m) taking bronze.

It’s the first time that two French athletes have stood on the same podium ay the World Athletics Championships, which started in 1983.