The 30-year-old Frenchman, competing in the arena where he had taken Olympic gold five years earlier, produced a season’s best clearance of 5.89 metres, but still had to settle for bronze - his fourth in these International Association of Athletics Fedrations World Championships since 2009 - as the title went to Sam Kendricks of the United States.

He was only man to clear 5.95m, with silver going to Poland’s Piotr Lisek, who reached 5.89m with less fouls than Lavillenie.

Kendricks, a second lieutenant in the US Army Reserve and quite possibly the most polite athlete in the world, can surely expect immediate promotion after living up to his status as event favourite and adding a first global gold to the Olympic bronze he took behind Lavillenie’s silver at Rio 2016. 

Major-General Kendricks, perhaps?

For a while it looked as if there might be a surprise Chinese medallist in Changrui Xue – perhaps taking inspiration from his female compatriots Lingwei Li and Huihui Lyu as they took silver and bronze behind the 36-year-old double Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova in the women’s javelin at the other end of the arena.

A national record of 5.82m kept Xue on the edge of the medal mix, but 5.89m proved too much for him.

As is his wont, Kendricks worked his way up the heights, coming in at 5.50m and amassing five first-time clearances to 5.89m, before managing 5.95m at his third attempt.

"It is all part of a mission for me," Kendricks said.

"I make a goal and chop it down to make it attainable - I've finally got that world title and I could not be happier.

"I've enjoyed 10 straight victories this year, it is a blessing to get another today."

Lavillenie, who became a father for the first time two weeks ago, said afterwards he had drawn inspiration from the 800m victory of his compatriot Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, who had finished one place outside the medals at Rio 2016.

"I cheered for Bosse, it helped me to keep my motivation," he said.

"I am very proud for him.

"My main goal this year was to get on the podium, from almost nothing, I missed four months of training.

"The last few months were difficult for me, my back was totally messed up.

"I knew that I might not get to the highest level but I wanted to make it to the podium."

A second round throw of 66.76m in the Sadium where she had won the second of her Olympic titles five years earlier earned Spotakova a second world title 10 years after her first in Osaka.

The two Chinese athletes strove mightily, however, to overhaul the Czech athlete’s marker, with Li achieving a personal best of 66.25m, and Lyu moving ahead of Croatia’s Olympic champion Sara Kolak with a best of 65.26m.

"At this Stadium, I am unbeatable,”" said Spotakova.

"There must be something in the air about London.

"I cannot explain it but when I enter this stadium, I always feel so calm and relaxed.

"I believed I could really win it today, I was so focused and confident.

"Whole day I was thinking about my last world title which was ten years ago in Osaka."