Monaco (AFP)

It's the man in the shape of the moment. Poland's Piotr Lisek is competing at the top of the mythical pole of 6 m pole vault, discipline in full effervescence.

In front of the luxury hotels, huge cranes intrigue the curious on the Monegasque coast: the very chic but narrow Principality has undertaken huge works to expand its territory by encroaching on the sea.

The 5 buildings and 14 villas planned have interest to rise high in the air if they do not want to see Piotr Lisek jump over!

Nothing stands up at the moment to the Pole who won with a jump to 6.02 m Friday at the meeting of the Diamond League of Monaco: personal record, meeting record, national record and best world performance at the key.

Sometimes scary when he throws all his teeth out his animal cry before his run-up, the tall blonde broad-shouldered (1.94 m, 94 kg) had already shone just a week ago crossing 6,01 m in Lausanne (Switzerland).

In a staggering regularity contest, this former high jumper passed all bars attempted on the first try, 6.02m included. In the wake he almost became the 3rd best pole vaulter of all time by failing very little at the first test at 6.06 m.

- The Lavillenie pass 5.82 m -

And yet Lisek is not alone in the world: he was pushed all the competition by an impressive skewer of champions. Swedish European Champion Armand Duplantis (2nd with 5.92m) nearly got 6.02m too.

The Brazilian Thiago Braz (3rd) has signed his big comeback by crossing 5.92 m also: he had just not reached such a level since his Olympic title in 2016 (6.03 m).

This crazy contest also smiled on French pole vaulters. World record holder Renaud Lavillenie (5th), who started his season very late with a right hamstring injury and then tendinitis, is making progress with each outing. He jumped 5.82m Friday, a week after his 5.81m from Lausanne.

His brother Valentin (7th), who trained for a year and a half in Monaco, broke his personal best by crossing the same bar. Alioune Sene (8th) also broke his record by crossing 5.72m on his second try.

Monaco's perfect weather (good weather, around 27 degrees) gave birth to two other major mid-distance performances: Dutchman Sifan Hassan broke the world mile record (1,609m) in 4: 12.33, and the Botswana's Nijel Amos ran the 800m in 1 min 41 sec 89, a time not seen since 2012.

© 2019 AFP