Thierry Vigneron (born 9 March 1960 in Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine) is a retired French pole vaulter. In the 1980s, he was among the world's leading pole vaulters. He broke the world record in the event four times and was the last man to hold the world record (for only a few minutes in August 1984) before Sergey Bubka, who would hold on to it almost 30 years until February 2014.

Thierry Vigneron
Thierry Vigneron in 2012
Personal information
Born9 March 1960

Biography

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Vigneron burst onto the world stage by unexpectedly beating the 5.72 m outdoor world record of Poland's Władysław Kozakiewicz with a jump of 5.75 m on 1 June 1980. Vigneron equaled his own outdoor world record of 5.75 m on 29 June 1980. Although Vigneron lost his outdoor world record to another Frenchman, Philippe Houvion, on 17 July 1980, he was one of the favorites at the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, Vigneron could not rise to the challenge; he could only finish in 7th position at 5.45 m. The 1980 Olympics pole vault title was won by Kozakiewicz, who also reclaimed the outdoor world record from Houvion with a jump of 5.78 m in that Olympic final. On 20 June 1981 Vigneron reclaimed the outdoor world record with a 5.80 m jump, only to lose it to the Soviet Union's Vladimir Polyakov six days later.

After yet another Frenchman, Pierre Quinon, raised the outdoor world record to 5.82 m on 28 August 1983, Vigneron vaulted to another outdoor world record again with 5.83 m on 1 September 1983. This record remained unbeaten until 26 May 1984, when Sergey Bubka cleared 5.85 m just weeks before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, in which Vigneron took the bronze medal while Bubka was absent due to the Soviet-led boycott. On 31 August 1984, less than three weeks after the 1984 Olympics had ended, Bubka beat Vigneron in a memorable contest in Rome in which the Frenchman briefly retook the outdoor world record with 5.91 m and the Ukrainian cleared 5.94 m immediately afterwards. It was the last time that anyone other than Bubka held the outdoor world record. (Bubka continued to hold the outdoor world record until September 17, 2020 with a 6.14m mark). However, Bubka's indoor world record of 6.15m was previously beaten by another Frenchman, Renaud Lavillenie, who vaulted 6.16m, on February 15, 2014. Ironically, both marks were set in Donetsk, Ukraine, which is Bubka's hometown.)

This was the high-water mark of Vigneron's career. Despite a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in 1985, a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in 1987, and a silver medal at the 1987 World Championships in Rome, Vigneron was never able again to match Bubka who brought the outdoor world record to its present-day mark of 6.14 m.

Vigneron retired from pole vaulting in 1996.

International competitions

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Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing   France
1979 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria NM
European Junior Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 3rd 5.40 m
1980 European Indoor Championships Sindelfingen, West Germany 8th 5.40 m
Olympic Games Moscow, Soviet Union 7th 5.45 m
1981 European Indoor Championships Grenoble, France 1st 5.70 m
Universiade Bucharest, Romania 4th 5.60 m
1982 European Championships Athens, Greece 5th 5.50 m
1983 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary NM
Universiade Edmonton, Canada 2nd 5.60 m
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 8th 5.40 m
1984 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 1st 5.85 m
Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 3rd 5.60 m
1985 World Indoor Games Paris, France 2nd 5.70 m
European Indoor Championships Piraeus, Greece NM
1986 European Championships Stuttgart, West Germany 1st (q) 5.50 m1
1987 European Indoor Championships Liévin, France 1st 5.85 m
World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 3rd 5.80 m
World Championships Rome, Italy 2nd 5.80 m
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 5th 5.70 m
1990 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 3rd 5.70 m
European Championships Split, Yugoslavia 6th (q) 5.30 m1
1991 World Championships Tokyo, Japan 8th 5.60 m
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 6th (q) 5.50 m1
Mediterranean Games Narbonne, France 2nd 5.50 m

1No mark in the final

See also

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Records
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
1 June 1980 – 17 July 1980
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
20 June 1981 – 26 June 1981
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
1 September 1983 – 26 May 1984
Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault World Record Holder
31 August 1984 – 31 August 1984
Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Men's Pole Vault Best Year Performance
1983
Succeeded by