Doha (AFP)

A week after having erased Sergei Bubka, the prodigy of the pole Armand Duplantis was more discreet by jumping "only" 5.82 m to win the Diamond League meeting in Doha (Qatar) on Friday and close his magnificent year.

The Swede was eagerly awaited after crossing 6.15m last week in Rome, the best outdoor performance in history ahead of the Ukrainian legend (6.14m).

But while he had passed the 6m mark ten times this year in fifteen competitions, "Mondo" Duplantis stopped at 5.82m, like his competitors Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie, author of his best performance this season , however ahead of the number of tests.

The world record holder (6.17 m then 6.18 m this winter indoors) in the pole vault, aged only 20, failed twice at 5.92 m before attempting 6 m, another failure, once he was sure to win the contest.

Unlike the Worlds in September / October 2019, where they benefited from the air-conditioned Khalifa stadium, this time the athletes had to deal with the heat of the Gulf (around 34 degrees) in the enclosure of the Qatar sports club, for the last meeting of Diamond League of a season truncated by the novel coronavirus pandemic (OJ postponed to 2021, Euro canceled, late resumption).

- 'Russian mountains' -

"It was finally a long season. We didn't jump very high but we enjoyed our last moment together", explained Duplantis in the mixed zone.

"Emotionally, I had a roller coaster ride this year. First with a fantastic indoor season, then came confinement, and finally we were able to jump again this summer," he summarized.

The athletes rather shone on the track, with in particular the best world performance of the year over 800 m in 1 min 57 sec 68 from Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, reigning Olympic champion in the 1,500 m.

In the past two seasons, only Caster Semenya had managed to run faster over the distance.

The South African can no longer defend her chances in the 800m: a World athletics rule asks hyperandrogenic athletes to undergo hormonal treatment, which Semenya refuses, to lower their testosterone levels and participate in the 400m per mile races (1.609 m).

Over 100 m, Jamaican Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah confirmed her good form by winning the race in 10 sec 87 (no wind).

On the French side, in addition to Renaud Lavillenie, Christophe Lemaitre finished 3rd in the 200m in 20 sec 68 a month and a half after an injury to the right adductor.

Hurdler Wilhem Belocian was disqualified for a false start, leaving American Aaron Mallet, in full progress, to win a convincing victory (13 sec 15, personal best) over 110 m hurdles.

© 2020 AFP