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Three of the world's top pole vaulters compete in their backyards to earn new title

May 4, 2020

Three of the world’s top male pole vaulters leapt at the chance to compete against each other today - from their own backyards.

The event, described as the Ultimate Garden Clash - was streamed live by World Athletics, the BBC reports.

Renaud Lavillenie, a former Olympic champion finished as the joint-winner of the competition, saying he felt like he was in a World Championship.

Mr Lavillenie, who coined the idea of the backyard event, competed alongside world champion Sam Kendricks and world record holder Armand Duplantis and streamed the action live on YouTube.

"I got the same feeling as if I was going for the World Championship," said Mr Lavillenie.

"Honestly, I was really missing the competition feeling, and I'm really happy to be part of it."

The event was viewed by about 20,000 people online with the three pole vaulters aiming to complete as many jumps as they could in 30 minutes with the bar set at five metres high.

The challenge was speed, which one of them could make the most successful clearances in the allotted time.

Mr Lavillenie took part on a runway at the side of his home in Clermont-Ferrand in France as his wife and daughter watched on.

Mr Duplantis competed from his parents' garden in Louisiana, where he started pole vaulting aged four and Mr Kendricks had set up his runway at home in Mississippi.

"Not everybody has the means to do something like this, which is why we got the call," said Mr Kendricks.

"We are professional competitors and we have to find a way to do what we do - and it was a great workout."

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