BELGRADE, Serbia – Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis again broke his own pole vault world record with a 6.20-meter clearance at the world indoor championships.
The 22-year-old Swede had promised “something higher” at the event and set the new mark at his third and final attempt. He had already secured his first world title with a clearance of 6.05.
Duplantis had a 6.19-meter clearance on March 7 at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting at the same Stark Arena, extending his record from 6.18 that was set in February 2020 in Glasgow.
Also, triple jumper Yulimar Rojas broke her own women´s world record with a leap of 15.74 meters at the same championships.
The Olympic and 2018 European pole vault champion will now be eager to complete his set of gold medals at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July.
Mondo initially secured the world indoor title after his clearance of 6.05 meters as Thiago Braz of Brazil was unable to clear that bar but earned silver in the meantime.
The gold was secured with what was, for him, a routine jump of 6.05m, his fourth consecutive first-time clearance following previous heights of 5.60m, 5.85m and 5.95m.
Silver went to Brazil’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion Thiago Braz, who cleared 5.95m, with 24-year-old US vaulter Chris Nilsen, the Tokyo Olympic silver medallist, earning bronze on 5.90m.
As it so often appears nowadays, Duplantis looked to be competing at a calmer, more rarified level than the main throng of competitors, but he was given a run for his money on the night by two other hugely talented operators.
Braz moved into silver medal position at Nilsen’s expense with a third-time clearance of 5.95m. Nilsen, who cleared up to and including 5.90m with only one blemish, could progress no further.
It was arguable whether Duplantis, who set world records of 6.17m and 6.18m in 2020, was the strongest favourite to win his event at these championships. In the end, such speculation became unimportant.
While Duplantis dipped into the competition, Nilsen – who set a US indoor record of 6.05m earlier this month – took the steady course, going over – also without fault – at 5.45m, 5.60m, 5.75m, 5.85m and at his second attempt, 5.90m – at which height his rival had passed.
Less expected was the arrival alongside them of Valentin Lavillenie, younger brother of former world record-holder Renaud, who was not competing here but is still heading for Paris 2024 with hope in his heart.
Valentin Lavillenie bashed his chest in glee after achieving an ideally timed lifetime best of 5.85m at his second attempt.
But after failing to clear 5.90m he had the bittersweet feeling of fourth as Braz moved above him on countback after himself clearing 5.85m at the second attempt.
Braz, like Duplantis, passed at 5.90m. The latter cleared 5.95m at his first attempt.
The Brazilian finally managed 5.95m, but 6.05m proved a bar too far.
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