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Duplantis has defied the odds yet again by shattering the Pole Vault world record yet again just weeks after smashing it again when he won gold in Paris.
Olympic champion Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis improved his own pole vault word record by a centimetre at Sunday's Diamond League Silesia meeting, posting a mark of 6.26 metres on his second attempt.
It is the 10th time the 24-year-old Swede has set a new world mark since he first became the world record holder with a vault of 6.17m in Torun, Poland, in February 2020.
Duplantis proceeded in classic fashion in the pole vault, winning the competition with his third vault, at 6.00m, and then moving straight on to the world record height, which he cleared, amid a tumult of excitement, at his second attempt.
Joy was unbounded in this competition, as respective Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Sam Kendricks of the United States and Emmanouil Karalis of Greece had both cleared 6.00m – a season’s best for the first and a national record for the latter. It was the first time that three men have cleared six metres in one competition.
The newly-instituted MVP award to the athlete producing the best performance of the meeting, according to World Athletics points scoring, went to Duplantis, who thus took possession of a 14-carat gold, diamond champion ring worth $10,000 and an additional cheque for the same amount.
“It almost feels weird and unnatural to get so much love and support from the crowds when I compete,” said Duplantis.”I see that especially in Poland. The energy in this stadium just keeps getting better every year. My first world record also came in Poland, indoors in Torun, so I have great memories from here.
“The track here is wonderful, the conditions today were perfect, everything just came together to allow me to do this. I know a lot of people came here to see me jump, so I wanted to put in a good showing for them. This year I focused on the Olympics, record just came naturally because I was in good shape. So I am not surprised with the record today, but I am thankful.
“It is just about being in good shape and believing you can do it. I always want to jump as high as I possibly can and to keep pushing. I have never hit a jump that felt absolutely perfect, so I always feel like I can do better.”
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