Le Mans (FRA) 17 August - 21 August 2016

Historic male title

The Individual male category was closely contested and full of excitement with the top rankings being adjusted after each round. The gold medal went to Lambert Leclezio of Mauritius, the first time the east African nation had won a medal at an FEI World Championship. Leclezio was followed closely by Haennel Vincent (FRA), who secured the silver, and Jannis Drewell (GER) was in bronze.

Born in 1997, Lambert Leclezio was only 19 when he conquered his first world title in Le Mans in 2016. Born and raised on Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean located some 2,000 km off the southeast coast Africa, he had taken up Vaulting in 2008. In 2015, he won individual gold at the FEI Vaulting World Championships for Juniors in Ermelo (NED). Three world titles would follow – at the World Championships in 2016 and 2021 and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 along with a participation in the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Caen (FRA). He won the silver medal at the FEI Vaulting World Cup™ 2022 in Leipzig (GER).

In October 2016, Leclezio, who holds dual French and Mauritius nationality, changed his sports nationality to France. After a compulsory waiting period, he went on to represent France as of August 2018.

Most titled

The competition in the Individual female category was of equally high standard. The title was won by Jasmin Lindner (AUT), followed by Kristina Boe (GER) in silver, and Anna Cavallaro (ITA) in bronze.

After her first participation in an FEI Vaulting World Championship in 2012 where she won her first world title in the Pas-de-Deux category, Lindner would go on to secure a total of seven world medals – five gold and two silver – in the Individual female, Pas-de-Deux and Team categories. Jasmin Lindner has become Vaulting’s most title athlete to date.

Pas-de-Deux

Jasmin Lindner and fellow Austrian Lukas Wacha won gold in the Pas-de-Deux category, their third after the FEI Vaulting World Championships 2012 and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014. They would go on to win Pas-de-Deux silver at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Tryon NC (USA).

Germany’s Janika Derks and Johannes Kay were awarded silver and the French duo Lucie and Simon Chevrel took home the bronze.

Bird theme

The team title went to the host nation who performed an amazing freestyle with a fantastically choreographed routine using a bird theme. Germany placed second followed by Austria who took the bronze.