Armand “Mondo” Duplantis soared into history once again, breaking the pole vault world record for the 14th time with a stunning clearance of 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday.
The Swedish star had already secured his third consecutive World Championships gold before raising the bar to a never-before-attempted height. On his third and final try, the 25-year-old delivered in front of a raucous crowd at Japan’s National Stadium.
Commanding road to gold
Duplantis entered the final at 5.55m and sailed over comfortably. He went on to clear 5.85m, 5.95m and 6.00m with ease, maintaining composure as rivals faltered.
Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis kept the contest alive by clearing 5.95m and 6.00m on pressure attempts, while Australia’s Kurtis Marschall edged past American Sam Kendricks for bronze with a first-time clearance at 5.95m.
By the time Karalis bowed out at 6.20m, Duplantis had already confirmed Sweden’s first gold medal of these championships.
The record-breaking leap
With victory sealed, all eyes turned to the “Mondo show.” Duplantis first failed twice at 6.30m, but on his last chance, he glided over the bar, rewriting the sport’s history once more.
“It’s better than I could have imagined,” Duplantis said after the jump. “The crowd were so loud, and to give them this world record is amazing. I’m just so happy.”
A historic competition
The final also set new benchmarks for depth in the event: seven men cleared 5.90m or higher, and for the first time ever, 5.95m was not enough to secure a medal.
With his latest triumph, Duplantis now holds eight major senior international titles and continues to redefine the limits of pole vaulting.
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