The pole vault world record-holder injured his shoulder after running as part of his club’s 4x100m relay team

Renaud Lavillenie has been forced to delay his return to IAAF Diamond League action after sustaining a minor injury to his shoulder.

The pole vault world record-holder had been due to compete in Doha on Friday, but fell at the finish line when anchoring his club in the 4x100m relay at a national clubs competition in Lyon.

“I was feeling fit and ready for the first real challenge of the season and I was really looking forward to competing in Doha,” said the Olympic champion.

“Unfortunately, the injury is preventing me from coming to Qatar, but hopefully I will have the chance to return to Doha in the near future.”

Event organisers quoted Lavillenie’s manager Ren Auguin as saying: “Renaud went through a series of medical exams in order to check if ligaments or tendons were affected by the fall. Thankfully he had not suffered any severe injury. Nevertheless, he must stay out of action for the next ten days, which means he will miss the Doha Diamond League.”

Lavillenie, who was named the IAAF world athlete of the year in 2014, is due to compete at Diamond League meetings in Eugene, Rome, Paris, Lausanne, Monaco and Brussels this year. He is the only athlete to have won the Diamond Race every year since the Diamond League series began in 2010.

Looking ahead to the series, the 28-year-old last month had said how his goal in Doha had been to break the meeting record and set a world-leading mark.

On his goals for 2015, he added: “The World Championships is my biggest goal, but it s not my only goal.

“I want to win the Diamond Race and try to improve my outdoor PB of 6.02m.

“I m really focused on the 2016 Olympics, so the year before is really important. The World Championships will be my last big test before Rio.”

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