This morning, the 21-year-old from Bergen will qualify in the pole vault along with brothers Guttormsen Sondre and Simen during the EC in Munich. It was only six days ago that his wand became his again.

They disappeared before the WC in Eugene in the US in July as well. Then they get lost in the flight and baggage mess when he travels to the Norwegian precamp at Berkeley before the championships in Oregon.

Several times this season, Lillefosse have lost pole on arrival at the competition venue. The world of aviation is unstable post-pandemic.

– They spent a little over a week without me knowing where they were in the world. I’m so glad they made it through in the end. It’s a minor stress factor. They finally called from the San Francisco airport and said they had arrived, Lillefosse told NTB in the city of Eugene for the World Cup on July 19.

Then he got his wand a few days before he left the precamp and went to the WC town.

More trouble

He earned pole in time for qualifying at WC, and in the final on the closing day of WC on July 25, he ended up in 8th place.

Then the same tribulation happened again. After checking them for the return trip from the US and to Norway and his hometown of Bergen, the stick disappeared again.

And this time they were gone for a long time.

– They came straight to Munich on August 12, two days ago, Lillefosse told NTB during Sunday’s press conference in Munich.

He had no explanation of where the wand was.

– They have flown all over the world. I haven’t been able to track them down. There are airlines that don’t want to carry them and a lot of complications. But at least they came here, and that’s reassuring.

No full speed

– Do you have backup staff at home in Bergen?

– I have a few that work, but I haven’t been able to train at full speed since the US. I’m stuck on shorter access. This has been going well. Technically it’s good. I have tried to practice as much as possible with the stick I have, the young man said.

After all, it was set again at the last minute for a new championship. Poles are naturally important for pole vaulters.

Lillefosse set a personal record with 5.86 meters during the NM at Stjørdal in late June. He has six competitions in a row where the result is 5.80 or better.

The goal before EC is clear.

– I have hopes of a medal, but there’s a lot on the line.