Athletics | Duplantis retains gold and raises his pole vault world record to 6.25m

(Paris) Swedish pole vault phenomenon Armand Duplantis held his position as the hot favourite by retaining Olympic gold, an already rare feat, and by raising his world record to 6.25m at the Paris Games on Monday evening at the Stade de France.

Before him, only American Bob Richards, in 1952 and 1956, and Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, in 2004 and 2008, won two Olympic pole vault titles. Even Sergei Bubka was crowned Olympic champion only once, in 1988.

Assured of a second Olympic title since he was the only finalist to have cleared 6 m, Duplantis then soared above 6.10 m in his first attempt – a new Olympic record – then 6.25 m in his third and final attempt, carried by the “Mondo”, “Mondo”, “Mondo” of the Stade de France crowd.

This is the ninth time that “Mondo” (24 years old) has improved the world record since he took it from Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie in 2020.

At 24, Duplantis is now a double Olympic champion (2021 and 2024), world champion (2022 and 2023) and triple reigning European champion (2018, 2022 and 2024).

Accompanying him on the Olympic podium were the American Sam Kendricks, second with 5.95 m, and the Greek Emmanouil Karalis, third with 5.90 m.

Before tackling the Olympic and world records, “Mondo” offered the Stade de France crowd a perfect competition: in four jumps, at 5.70 m, 5.85 m, 5.95 m and 6 m, he ensured that he would receive a second Olympic gold medal around his neck.

Duplantis has been undefeated for over a year. His last defeat was in July 2023, in Monaco.

The pole vaulting phenomenon had ideally started his summer season with a previous world record in his first competition, at the Diamond League in Xiamen (China).