With two days to go until the start of the European Athletics Championships, our Amsterdam Focus looks at one of the all-time greats.
Renaud Lavillenie has the most extraordinary record when it comes to major European events.
The sensational French pole vaulter has competed in seven European Athletics Championships - indoors and out - and he has won gold every time. Hello number eight?
That will be his ambition as he arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday determined to maintain his extraordinary stranglehold of the event where he has consistently brought such excitement and drama.
As Lavillenie said in the build up to these championships which start on Wednesday: “We will go to Amsterdam to try to bring another gold medal. I have a lot but I like to bring a gold medal every time.
“The European is a great pole vault competition… and I don’t want to lose.
“I don’t care about the height; I just want the gold medal. Even if I won with 5.80m, I would be happy.'
History shows that is unlikely to happen as Lavillenie cleared 5.85m for gold in Barcelona 2010, 5.97m in Helsinki 2012 and 5.90m in Zurich two years ago.
And he is coming into his best form at just the right time this summer with his world lead of 5.95m achieved at the French Championships in Angers on 26 June.
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A big champion just landed! Welcome and bonne chance Renaud @airlavillenie! #ECH2016 @FFAthletisme pic.twitter.com/d1DpPb4Pc6
— Amsterdam 2016_en (@Euro_Champs) July 3, 2016
Lavillenie has already arrived in Amsterdam and will be present for the official European Athletics Press Conference held at the Stedelijke Museum on Tuesday 5 July at 15:30.
The European Athletics Championships truly brings out something special in this 29-year-old who has won indoor gold on the four occasions from 2009.
The competition from Europe will be strong, with the Czech Republic’s Jan Kudlicka second on the European lists with his national record of 5.83m from last month, his French teammate Kevin Menaldo (5.80m) in great shape and Zurich silver medallist Pawel Wojciechowski a big threat.
Except that just the presence alone of Lavillenie makes the others know they have to be at their very best if they are going to beat him.
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In Zurich, he only actually needed two vaults for gold, with a stunning command of the event.
He entered the final at 5.65m and then cleared 5.80m which would have been enough for victory before he looked higher, failing first time at 5.90m before clearing at the second attempt and then missing out in his three attempts at 6.01m.
No Frenchman had won this European title until Lavillenie triumphed in Barcelona six years ago and now he has made it his own.
RENAUD LAVILLENIE AT THE EUROPEAN ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Barcelona 2010 (31 July)
1. Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) 5.85m
2. Maksym Mazuryk (UKR) 5.80m
3. Przemyslaw Czerwinski (POL) 5.75m
Helsinki 2012 (1 July)
1. Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) 5.97m
2. Bjorn Otto (GER) 5.92m
3. Raphael Holzdeppe (GER) 5.77m
Zurich 2014 (16 August)
1. Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) 5.90m
2. Pawel Wojciechowski (POL) 5.70m
3=. Jan Kudlicka (CZE) 5.70m
3=. Kevin Menaldo (FRA) 5.70m