Armand Duplantis improved his ME result.
A Swedish jumping miracle Armand Duplantis has set a new pole vault world record at the Athletics Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, 619.
The former ME was also in the name of a 22-year-old Swedish superstar. Duplantis improved the world record twice in February 2020, when he jumped first in Torun Hall 617 and then in Glasgow 618.
Duplantis has dominated the pole vault for the past couple of years. Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet says (you will switch to another service)that Duplantis tried to cross 619 in races 50 times before now succeeding in Belgrade, with its 51st attempt.
Duplantis won Olympic gold in Tokyo last summer with a score of 602. He has previously won World Championship silver (Doha 2019) and European Championship gold (Berlin 2018).
Aftonbladet writes that 619 had become some kind of curse for the Duplantis. Duplantis had already tried ME height this season in Karlsruhe, Berlin, Uppsala and Birmingham.
Now, according to the Swedish newspaper, he shook the ME result quite off the beaten track, or at least in hiding from more attention. There were only five participants in the Belgrade race, and the runner-up reached 531.
Duplantis started when the others had finished. He surpassed 561, 585 and 600 in the first. He then raised the bar to an ME height of 619, which was exceeded by a third attempt.
In athletics, record results are usually divided into indoor and outdoor track records. The pole vault is an exception to this, as it does not break down record results.
Also on the outdoor tracks Duplantis has jumped more than the previous ME holder, Ukrainian legend Sergei Bubka. Duplantis stretched to over 615 in the Rome Diamond League in September 2020. Bubka’s record on the outdoor tracks is 614 and inside 615.
Swedish expert: “He can jump 630”
But an expert on Expressen Alhaji Jeng believes that the Duplantis limit won’t go here – even though it took a couple of years from the previous record to a cent leap.
– I really think he can jump 630 in the future. With proper sensitization before value races, that’s possible, Jeng said.
– I’m not surprised that 619 was exceeded now. He has been very close to the tube in many races. He has been in world record condition, Jeng added.
Duplantis jumped in the same hall of the ME, where the World Championships in Athletics Hall Races will be competed on the 18th and 20th. March.
World Cup wins from Duplantis are still missing, both on the indoor and outdoor tracks.
Finns took part in the Belgrade race Milja Thureson, who finished fourth in the women’s 400m race with a time of 54.52. The Slovenian won Anita Horvat with a time of 53.07.