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Armand Duplantis is carried on shoulders after his world record
Photo: Chris Pietsch / AP
Pole vault prodigy Armand Duplantis of Sweden has improved his own world record. At the final Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, the 23-year-old Olympic champion crossed 6.23 meters.
He jumped one centimeter higher than at an indoor meeting on February 25 in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Duplantis had set his outdoor record at the World Athletics Championships last year, also in Eugene in the USA, to 6.21 meters.
In the successful title defense in Budapest, Duplantis, known only as "Mondo", failed three weeks ago in Budapest by a narrow margin of 6.23 meters.
Duplantis crossed the bar in his first attempt and was celebrated by the enthusiastic fans. Second place went to Ernest John Obiena (Philippines) with 5.82 meters ahead of former world champion Sam Kendricks (USA/5.72 meters).
German athletes such as the injured Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (Leverkusen) were not at the start in Eugene.
Duplantis is the absolute dominator of the pole vault scene. He is already a two-time world champion, two-time European champion and has also won major indoor titles.
Tsegay improves world record by five seconds
There was also a world record in the women's race in Eugene: Ethiopian 10,000-meter world champion Gudaf Tsegay won the 5000-meter distance in 14:00.21 minutes.
The 26-year-old Tsegay beat the previous record set by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon (14:05.20) in June this year by almost five seconds. Second behind Tsegay in Eugene was Kenya's Beatrice Chebet in 14:05.92, the third fastest time ever run.
Tsegay had triumphed at the same venue in the 2022 m at the World Championships in 5000. A year later, she won twice the distance in Budapest, but was only 5000th in the 13 meters.
After the world record, she immediately formulated her next goal: She wants to be the first woman to run the 5000 meters under 14 minutes.
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