Paris (AFP)

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis, who has just surpassed legend Sergei Bubka in the open air, hopes to ride his resplendent form to achieve another feat on Friday in Doha (Qatar), for the last Diamond League meeting of the season.

A genius of the pole vault from an early age, "Mondo" Duplantis has pushed back the limits of his discipline this year.

After seizing the world record from Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie in February (6.17m then 6.18m indoors), he jumped 6.15m in Rome last week, surpassing the best performance in history outdoors of Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka.

The apparent ease with which he achieved these performances lets imagine a sequel to his magnificent series, while his progress is continuous.

"Young talents are always faster, stronger, in particular Mondo, who is unstoppable. It is impossible to prevent young people from progressing", noted at a press conference the double American world champion Sam Kendricks.

“Clearly new expectations have emerged. If you want to continue playing with Mondo on pole vault, you have to be prepared to fight harder than anyone has ever done in the history of the sport. It can be scary sometimes. to think I have to be better than all of my great predecessors, just to stay in the game. "

Kendricks likes to pay tribute to his younger brother (28 years against 20), but he also knows that he represents the main threat for Duplantis, who has for the moment "only" a title of European champion (conquered in Berlin in 2018 at 18 years old).

Last October, already in Doha, the American had been able to achieve his best competition of the year on the right day to retain his title of world champion in front of the Swede (5.97 m both, Kendricks had won in the tests).

- 'Do it when it counts' -

Duplantis, who was born and raised in the United States, finds Kendricks on Friday, but also the 2012 French Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie.

“To be remembered as the best in history, you have to know how to perform at the right time,” admitted Duplantis to World athletics. “I think I'm a man of championships, that I know how to give everything when it really matters, but it still has to be proven. "

"At the next Olympics, Worlds or European Championships, I'll be there and I will do anything to get to the top of the podium. You can jump as high as you want, but if you can't do it when that account..."

The Doha meeting closes for the Diamond League a season truncated by the pandemic of the new coronavirus, between the postponement of the Olympics until the summer of 2021, the cancellation of the Euro and a very late resumption for the athletes, in early August for international competitions.

© 2020 AFP