Vaulting into a new era of global competition is champion's dream

The baton - or pole - has duly been passed between Ukrainian legend Sergey Bubka and his successor as the world record holder, Renaud Lavillenie of France.

Lavillenie cleared 6.16 meters in Donetsk in February last year to break Bubka's 21-year-old pole vault record by one centimeter.

And now the Frenchman, with the 10-time world champion Bubka by his side in Beijing ahead of the world championships, which open on Saturday, is launching a competition featuring just the pole vault in his hometown of Clermont Ferrand.