Doha (AFP)
American Sam Kendricks retained his World Pole Title with a jump to 5.97m after a final that reached unprecedented height on Tuesday in Doha (Qatar).
Kendricks beat Swedish prodigy Armand Duplantis, European Champion 2018, who also passed 5.97m. A first in a world finals, never two pole vaulters had passed the bar at the same time.
As expected, the Polish driver Piotr Lisek (5.87m) completes a podium where we find the three men at more than 6m this season.
The expected three-way battle took place and the trio quickly secured a medal since no other pole vaulter was able to pass the 5.80m. Not even the Brazilian Thiago Braz (3rd), Olympic champion in Rio, who had signed his comeback by crossing 5.92 m in Monaco in July.
Of the three, Poland's Pyotr Lisek was the first to crack, on a bar at 5.97m after a stalemate and a failure at 5.92m.
"Mondo" Duplantis showed him all his cool at just 19 years old by clearing two bars on the last attempt (5.92m and 5.97m).
Insufficient to snatch gold from Kendricks who almost always led the competition and became the first pole vaulter to win a second world title since Sergei Bubka (6 world crowns).
© 2019 AFP