Pole vaulter Lavillenie misses worlds due to painful hamstring

Former pole vault world record holder Renaud Lavillenie is to miss the World Athletics Championships in Budapest due to a hamstring injury, the Frenchman said on Monday.

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It rounds off a miserable year for the 36-year-old 2012 Olympic champion, who did not manage one successful vault at the French championships at the end of July.

"I am going to use the time to recharge my batteries – both physical and mental – before preparing for 2024," he wrote in a social media post.

"My body will not allow me to compete in Budapest in the best conditions due to the return of a pain in my hamstring and thus with the utmost regret I must withdraw from them."

The three-time European champion – a five-time world championship minor medalist – had already missed the indoor season due to his troublesome hamstring.

The world championships run from 19 August to 27 August.