Lyon (AFP) - World pole vault record holder and former Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie made a “rubbish” return to action on Friday after missing more than five months through injury.

Lavillenie, 32, who won gold at London in 2012 before losing his Olympic title to Thiago Braz da Silva four years later in Rio, jumped 5.45m at the meeting near Lyon.

“My performance was rubbish. I can only do better in my next competitions because I don’t see myself starting on any lower than 5.45m,” said the Frenchman who suffered a thigh injury competing in Paris on January 27.

“I held up until the end without pain. It’s why I came here. I lack form. I’m a bit frustrated as I could have jumped higher,” Lavillenie, who holds the record of 6.16m since February 2014, added.

He will compete at the Diamond League meet in Stanford, the US on Sunday June 30 and is expected to feature at the world championships in Doha which run from September 27-October 6.

“My first aim is to get to 5.80m between now and mid-July, to be competitive for France and the worlds are still two months after that. I have time,” he said.