Armand Duplantis had hardly landed after his record-breaking flight when he already announced the next heroic deeds.
"I don't think that was all," said the Olympic pole vault champion after his air show at the indoor meeting in Belgrade and promised: "There's still a lot to come."
Duplantis had just improved his own world record from 2020 by one centimeter and had sailed over 6.19 meters in the third and last attempt - now he was in the heights.
"From now on I will attack the 6.20 meters, of course in two weeks."
The 22-year-old Swede was alluding to the first highlight of the season – the World Indoor Championships, which will also take place in Belgrade from March 18th to 20th.
"I'm really looking forward to coming back here soon," Duplantis said with a big smile.
The high-flyer, who has long been regarded as the heir to the Ukrainian pole vault icon Sergei Bubka, is planning the title hat-trick this year: After the World Indoor Championships, the World Championships in Eugene/Oregon (July 15th to 24th) and the European Championships are waiting in Munich (15th to 21st August) finally the two absolute highlights of the season.
Duplantis, who had already indicated his exceptional early form in mid-February in Birmingham, England, with the world best for the year of 6.05 meters, seems ready for leaps into new dimensions.
The new world record, his third, should unleash additional strength.
“I must have tried it 50 times.
It took a long time.
I've never had a height that caused me so much trouble."
In fact, he attempted the record height at four meetings this year—in Karlsruhe, Berlin, Uppsala, and Birmingham.
Now it worked.
"That's why it's a very good feeling.
I fought hard for it over the last two years.” He set the old world record on February 15, 2020 in Glasgow.