Sweden’s world record holder Armand Duplantis claimed his second consecutive world pole vault title on Saturday, but did not have a seventh world record in him on a steamy night in Budapest.
The Olympic champion cleared 6.10 metres for gold and then - in what turned into the “Mondo show” - missed at three attempts to clear 6.23, which would have been world record number seven for the remarkable 23-year-old.
Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines won silver with a jump of 6.00m.
Three days after American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy decided to share the women’s pole vault gold, there was a tie for bronze between Kurtis Marschall of Australia and Christopher Nilsen of the U.S., who both posted 5.95m.
Duplantis has won 12 of 13 competitions this season, and has cleared 6.00m in a remarkable 50 different events. His most recent world record was 6.22 set in France in February.
His three record attempts enthralled the National Athletics Centre crowd, who clapped in time during his run-ups.
The Swede’s third attempt was the closest, with his body just grazing the bar, which clung tantalisingly to the standards before wobbling and falling.
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