The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men's Elite Pole Vault field boasts five Olympians at Texas Relays
03.21.2018 | Texas Relays, Track & Field / Cross Country
World-class athletes set to battle in pole vault competition
91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Built By The Home Depot: Schedule | Tickets | Entry Information
AUSTIN, Texas – Mike A. Myers Stadium is considered among the best places to pole vault in the United States. The numbers don't lie.
Last year, the world junior record (under 20) and women's 35+ world record were set at Myers Stadium. The Canadian record has been broken three times by Shawn Barber during meets at Myers Stadium. Five of the top seven performers in NCAA history, cleared their top marks at Myers Stadium.
Next week for the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Built By The Home Depot, some of the best vaulters in the world will take the runway to again prove Myers Stadium is the best place to vault.
2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Renaud Lavillenie of France headlines this year's Elite Men's Pole Vault field announced today by Meet Director James Barr.
Lavillenie is the No. 2 vaulter all-time outdoors and holds the world record indoors. He is one of the most decorated athletes of his generation with three IAAF World Indoor Championships to his claim and five medals outdoors at the world meet.
The Frenchman will not be the only world-class vaulter competing at Texas Relays in this event.
Canadian record holder and 2015 world champion Shawn Barber returns to the stadium he set the Canadian record multiple times.
Olympian Pauls Pujats of Latvia will be in the field as well. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Pujats qualified for the final with a clearance of 5.60 meters but failed to clear a bar in the final. He was the 2015 runner-up at the NCAA Championships behind Barber.
Lavillenie will be joined by two of his countrymen with Olympians Stanley Joseph and Kevin Menaldo competing. Menaldo finished sixth at the 2015 IAAF World Championships. They both finished 16th at the Rio Olympic Games.
Rounding out the field will be Scott Houston from the U.S. He recently won USATF Indoor Championships and represented Team USA at the World Indoor Championships. Other world-class athletes could be added to the field of the Elite Men's Pole Vault prior to the meet.
The Elite Men's Pole Vault competition takes the runway at 1:45 p.m. Saturday, March 31 during the Texas Relays.
Men's Elite Pole Vault
Renaud Lavillenie, France: World Indoor Record Holder (6.16m), 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist, 3x World Indoor Champion, 5x World Outdoor Medalist, No. 2 all-time outdoor (6.05m)
Shawn Barber, Canada: 5.93m, Canadian Record Holder, NCAA Indoor Record Holder, 3x NCAA Champion, 2015 World Champion
Kevin Menaldo, France: 5.83m, 2015 World Championships 6th, 2016 Olympics 16th
Scott Houston, USA: 5.78m,
Stanley Joseph, France: 5.75m, 2016 Olympics 16th
Pauls Pujats, Latvia: 5.60m, 2016 Olympian, 2015 NCAA Runner-Up
Important Upcoming Dates (All times Central):
• Thursday, March 22: List of High School/ University/College/Invitational Relays qualifiers released (10 p.m.) on TexasSports.com
• Thursday, March 22: Online declaration process opens for University/College/Post-Collegiate relays qualifiers at directathletics.com (10 p.m.)
• Monday, March 26: Online declaration closes (noon)
• Tuesday, March 27: Final Texas Relays competitors posted on TexasSports.com (noon)
• Wednesday, March 28: 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays Built By The Home Depot begin
