Armand Duplantis made a sensation at the Stade de France this Monday evening. At 10:18 PM, the American-Swedish athlete broke the world record for the pole vault. He reached 6.25 m, surpassing his previous record by just one centimeter. This new feat comes less than a month after his previous record. A few minutes earlier, Duplantis had already erased the Olympic record of Brazilian Thiago Braz with a jump of 6.10 m.
This 6.10 m jump was just a step for the greatest pole vaulter in history. After two unsuccessful attempts, a piece of advice from his father, Greg Duplantis, and a back massage, Duplantis achieved his feat, triggering the euphoria of the crowd despite annoying sound issues.
With this new world record, he left no room for suspense. Duplantis retained his Olympic title with ease. Since 2020, when he surpassed the record of Renaud Lavillenie, he continues to eclipse his competitors. This Monday evening, he once again demonstrated that there is a "Mondo" between him and the other competitors.
Duplantis did not need to force his talent to keep his title. His main competitor, the American Sam Kendricks, had to settle for the medal with a jump of 5.95 m, far behind Duplantis‘s performances.
The Swedish athlete executed his jumps with ease: 5.70 m to warm up, 5.85 m to get in the zone, 5.95 m to secure a medal, and 6 m for the title. During his fifth jump, he erased the Olympic record with 6.10 m, then the world record with 6.25 m.
The evening was also marked by the performance of Rénelle Lamotte in the 800 m, who finished fifth, and by the victories of Beatrice Chebet in the 5000 m and Valarie Allman in the discus throw.
Armand Duplantis celebrated his victory by imitating the Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, who has become a media icon. This reference did not escape Dikec, who congratulated Duplantis on X, joining the global enthusiasm around this historic performance.