Canada's Barber wins pole vault gold as Lavillenie flops again

Canada's Shawnacy Barber prolonged Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie's world championship jinx by snatching men's pole vault gold in Beijing on Monday.
Barber, 21, managed a best of 5.90 metres, winning on countback from defending champion Raphael Holzdeppe of Germany at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Olympic champion and world record-holder Lavillenie could only clear 5.80 and shared bronze with Polish pair Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowski as his challenge fell flat again.

Lavillenie had previously won a silver in Moscow and two bronzes in the Berlin and Daegu worlds, and was looking to break that hoodoo at the Bird's Nest stadium.
But it was not to be as he came into the competition at 5.80m.

In perfect conditions, the Frenchman sailed well over the bar as Holzdeppe failed at his first effort at that height.

Barber, Lisek and Wojciechowski all went clear at the first time of asking.

The bar moved up to 5.90m, but Lavillenie raked his first two efforts before a clumsy, final attempt saw his title bid fizzle out.

It was left to a battle between Barber and Holzdeppe, and while the pair failed all three attempts at 6.0 metres after clearing 5.90, the Canadian came out victorious on countback, the German having suffered three more failed jumps during the competition.
Source: AFP