Zurich, Switzerland – In a high-octane “city event” held in downtown Zurich, pole vault king Armand Duplantis and Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers sealed their wins in the Diamond League finals on Wednesday. The unique event, staged in front of the city’s opera house, served as a perfect warm-up for the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo.
Duplantis Wins on Countback
Competing just weeks after setting his 13th world record, Sweden’s Duplantis described the pole vault as a “beautiful circus act,” a sentiment that perfectly matched the electric atmosphere of the street event. He ran out the winner after clearing 6.0m, with his Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis also reaching the same height. After both athletes failed to clear 6.10m, Duplantis took the victory on countback, in a competition that thrilled the crowd of 5,000.
Olyslagers Edges Rival in High Jump
In the women’s high jump, Nicola Olyslagers renewed her rivalry with two-time world indoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh. Olyslagers cleared 2.02m on her first attempt, before setting a new Oceanian record of 2.04m. With the bar raised to 2.06m, Mahuchikh was left with one final chance to snatch the win, but she clipped the bar, handing the victory to Olyslagers. Britain’s Morgan Lake also had a strong performance, setting a national record of 2.00m to finish third.
Other Winners Crowned
The downtown event also saw victories in other field disciplines. Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer delighted the home crowd by taking the long jump win with a best leap of 8.32m. American Katie Moon won the women’s pole vault with a best of 4.82m, leading a U.S. podium sweep. In the men’s shot put, two-time world champion Joe Kovacs secured the win with a throw of 22.46m.
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