Dream of winning gold in Rio keeps me going: Renaud Lavillenie

You have improved upon your Olympic record (5.97 metres) by going 19 centimetres higher at the 2014 Indoor Worlds. Are you aiming bigger at the Olympics next year? How tough will it be to retain your Olympic crown?
My major goal is to win a second Olympic gold medal, in Rio de Janeiro next year. I saw that because in the last two years, I have been doing a good job by consistently jumping over 5.80 metres and even 6 metres. I know if I want to be on top for the next year, I have to be able to jump 5.90 metres or 6 metres. I am very excited about Rio 2016 as my first Olympics (London 2012) was very good and I have good memories. I want to take home good memories from the next Olympics too. That keeps me motivated and keeps me working hard even in training every day.

What is Sergey Bubka to you and what have you learnt from him?
From Bubka, I have learnt a lot about his run-up. He was able to be very fast on the last six steps and also be fast and very, very high with his body. That is the key in pole vault. With reach, you are able to manage big poles and we know that if we are able to reach big poles, it sends you soaring very high in the sky and that is very important.

Bubka has said that you can go further than your current world record. Are you sure yourself?
One of my jumps in Donetsk was 6.16 metres and my body was over the bar by four or five centimetres. So, definitely, I can jump 6.17 metres but the fact is that if I can do, it is more about when I can do it. When you are outdoors, it becomes difficult to plan because of the wind and weather conditions. I know that if I keep working hard, I can go higher and higher. It will be interesting to see how this summer goes.

Is it possible for anyone to equal Bubka's 35 world records and six world titles?
I don't think there is a chance to do better than Bubka. To be able to win six world championships is just crazy. About the world record, the fact was first of his world records was 5.85 metres and last one was 30 centimetres higher (29, actually).

What attracted you to pole vault?
Pole vault is something special because my father did pole vault and I wanted to do like my father. I fell in love with the sport. It very competitive and also very interesting because we have to run as fast as possible with the pole in our hand and after that trying to fly very high and the feeling we have when we get the pole who is pushing us in the air is very, very good. That is when you get this feeling, you don't want to leave it and you still want to continue. So, for me, I love it and I feel every time I want to jump.

What does it mean to have your brother Valentin also competing in the same sport?
I am very proud to be able to compete with my brother in big competitions. By being able to do the same event as my brother, we can share a lot of things. We can spend a lot of time together and also enjoy together. Competitions become really interesting as we are trying to help each other and every time we want to be the best. It is a pleasure for me and for him to be able to do it at the best level in our sport.

You are also into motorsport but obviously pole vault take priority. How do you devote time to your other passion?
Of course, pole vault is my priority. I need some free time during the season and during that free time, I like to do motorsport because I love good competition, I love the adrenalin pumping and, also, speed. Motorsport has everything and I do it on the track. It is very safe and something that I can enjoy. I find good rhythm (in pole vault) by doing some motorsport events a few times in a year. It keeps my mind fresh.

You did 5.80 metres in street vault recently in Des Moines, USA. That should give you confidence for the summer ahead...
During my training, I did many jumps of 5.60 metres and 5.70 metres. It (Des Moines) was very good. It was 25 degrees Celsius and windy. It was something normal for me. I was very happy to be able to make it. To be able to jump 5.80 metres in tough condition was very good and gives me the confidence for the future and for the next Diamond League. Last year in Shanghai, I jumped 5.92 metres in May, which was one of my best season-opening performances. This year, I can definitely jump as high as I did last year and may be do even better. I am excited to be back for the Diamond League meeting and hope to make some record.

Have you set any target for Doha?
For Doha, my goal is to try to break the meet record (5.82 metres) and then try to win the Diamond League. I hope I will be able to jump 5.90 metres. For me, the real test will be the weather. I am very confident as I have done some very good training.

You have won five successive Diamond League races comfortably. Does it bother you that there is nobody to push you hard?
I am not disappointed. One of my best things is to be very consistent in every situation. I am able to jump very high alone or if am in a competition. As you can see last winter and this winter, I was able to jump over 6 metres, 6.10 metres, 6.15 metres without anyone pushing me. If a good pole vaulter is coming along the way, it is great for our sport.

At 1.76 metres, you are the shortest pole vaulter to scale over 6 metres. What is the secret?
Though I am the shortest among pole vaulters, I am able to run faster than them at the pick-up and also be able to be very high. That helps a lot to give in the grip and also to push a bit higher. That is why I am able to jump so high. During the jump, every part (of the body) is very important. When you leave the ground, you have to be very good on the pole. That is why I am able to find a good solution every time to finish the jump and be able to do a good job.

You did street vault recently. Is it a novel way to attract fans to track and field events?
I think that we must keep an eye on the younger generation. The facilities available at T&F stadiums are different from those 10-15 years ago. Now we are able to watch so many different sports disciplines. We have to keep an eye on the basics. For me, T&F is one of the basic sports. We know every in sport, we have to run, jump and throw something. In T&F, we have the opportunity to do all these in one venue. We also have to teach them to the young and get them interested.

Street competition is good because we are able to perform in front of a new kind of people. They are not used to going to the stadium. When we go to the street, they can see it and that can get them interested to go to the stadium. Having said that, we don't have to think that street is the future because our sport is made to be performed on a real track. In street jumping, you perform in front of 2,000 to 3,000 people, but to be able to jump in front of 80,000 spectators in a stadium with so much noise is beyond comparison. It is a big pleasure to be able to take part in a great competition that we cannot do in the street.

After your last Diamond League appearance in Monaco in July, you have one month before the world championship in Beijing. How crucial is that break?
I am going to do the same thing like I did for European last year. I will do my last meeting in July and after that stay at home. After that, I will do two weeks of training, stay focused, enjoy my home and try to stay free. After that, I will go to Beijing about 8-9 days before qualification and just have enough time to be ready and acclimatise with the weather and also get a few training sessions and make my body ready for the Worlds. Hopefully, I will qualify and be ready for the finals. I just want to stay focussed on pole vault.

World Championships gold is something that is missing from your list of titles. Is it the biggest goal and the only goal for you this year?
It is the biggest goal but not the only goal. I have different goals. The first one will be to be able to win the gold medal in Beijing Worlds. I want to win again the Diamond League race and try to improve my personal best in outdoor which at the moment is 6.02m. It will be an interesting season as I am really focussed on the Rio Olympics. I know that the year before Olympics is very important because it is the year you can see if everything is going well and it is in fact the one last big step for the Olympics.

Does it hurt not winning the Moscow Worlds (2013)? What is important, Beijing Worlds title or another World Record?
Beijing will be important as it is only one title that I have not won. I will try to do my best. I know my opponents are not so bad with the young generation of pole vaulters from Poland and America. It will be a tough competition and I will have to do my best to win it.

Does your approach to a competition change after a World Record performance?
Following a World Record, I don't think a lot of things change about my sport. One important thing is that I feel more confident and at the same time, more pressure because everybody expects me to jump higher than before. It is good pressure.

You won World Athlete of the Year 2014. How does it compare with a World Record and Olympic Record?
That was very proud moment for me to win the award. I can't say it is bigger than OR of WR. When you achieve on the track in a competition, you can share it live. Awards follow much later than the actual performances. It was a proud moment to win the World Athlete of the Year award as it was a recognition from my Track &Field family.

What do you think of the potential rule changes that would bring down the number of attempts?
I don't think it is a good idea, honestly. If you change rules like that, we need to make a new WR and the height will be definitely different. With less attempts, it will be very hard. The rules have been in place for over 50 years. If we change, it will be hard for our sport because pole vault is a very hard and technical event. I am not for changing rules like that.