With the main track and field programme set for Thursday at the La Pontaise stadium, the pole vaulters disembarked to a picturesque setup alongside Lake Geneva.
World record holder Lavillenie won the competition with a best of 5.91 metres, Poland’s Paweł Wojciechowski took second with 5.84, and Kendricks and Australia’s Commonwealth champion Kurtis Marshall shared third (5.77).
Lavillenie had a wobble at 5.77m, only clearing it on his third attempt before moving up.
“I was left gutted in Paris,” France’s 2012 Olympic champion said of his third-placed finish (5.84m) in the French capital on Saturday, when Kendricks cleared a world lead of 5.96m.
Lavillenie set his world record of 6.16m in February 2015, but last went over the mythical 6m-mark in May 2015, vaulting 6.05m in Eugene.
“I would love to once again vault over 6m, I’ve tried it three times this season, and I’m not far away,” he said.