Paris (AFP)

Renaud Lavillenie and Armand Duplantis, who stole the pole vault world record (6.18 m) this winter, competed in an original format competition which they tied for first on Sunday, each at home, in the United States or in France.

The double American world champion Sam Kendricks ranked 3rd in this "Ultimate Garden Clash", ersatz of sports competition in confinement time, broadcast live on social networks by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) for some 20,000 spectators.

Unable to compete in a classic format, given the health conditions linked to the global coronavirus epidemic and the very different material conditions in which they jumped, the three athletes had agreed on a new objective: to exceed the maximum bars 5 m high in 30 minutes.

Lavillenie and Duplantis both made 36 jumps - each with only one failure - and Kendricks 26. In a certain confusion, the production proposed a 3-minute tie-break, which Lavillenie, with a tired face, refused as Duplantis, visibly less experienced, left for an additional jump.

"Succeeding 36 jumps at 5 m in 30 min, I challenge anyone on this planet to do the same, it's huge," said Kendricks, still breathless.

Everyone started on a personal long necklace: Lavillenie in his garden at Pérignat-lès-Sarliève (Puy-de-Dôme) with his daughter Iris on the swing in the background, Kendricks on a modern long necklace on his parents' farm in Louisiana (United States) and Armand Duplantis on the old long necklace where he started, at the age of three, in his parents' garden, in Mississippi (United States).

- "None of us wanted to lose" -

Aged 20, the young prodigy jumped quickly, with no apparent effort. Lavillenie, 33, was meticulous, stopping between each jump to drink, mop his forehead and repoudre hands, while Kendricks, whose runway was much longer, adopted a rhythm more careful, taking the time to sit down to catch his breath.

"Paradoxically, I found most of the preparation for competition," testified Lavillenie, who had expressed in recent weeks his difficulty training while the Covid-19 epidemic caused the postponement of major meetings you this year, Olympic Games in mind.

"None of us wanted to lose ... It was very intense," he added during a short press conference by videoconference after the challenge. "My goal was to make one jump per minute, but it took a little more to go for the win. It's a mixed effort between technique and endurance. I wouldn't do that every weekend but it was cool. "

Armand Duplantis also explained that he enthusiastically accepted the initiative of his French elder: "I live from the competition, we were all in need". But he is not however in favor of the idea of ​​introducing this competition format in a stadium: "It was nice, but I want to jump high, higher".

The president of the International Athletics Federation, Sebastian Coe, followed the competition on the internet and congratulated the three athletes for "this great initiative, really nice and innovative". He also thanked their relatives for having helped, by keeping the counters or managing the cameras, "to bring back athletics in direct during confinement".

"I hope we can offer a few more competitions like this for all athletic fans around the world," he added. These new challenges could involve other pole vaulters, men or women, and other disciplines.

At the same time, Lavillenie and Duplantis must "meet" on June 11 for another original distance competition, organized at the place of the Oslo meeting. The Swede will jump into the legendary Bislett stadium, without any audience, against the local Sondre Guttmorsen, while the French must compete once again from home.

© 2020 AFP