In Brussels, Armand Duplantis was defeated for the first time in a year. In the Diamond League final in Zurich, he still went in as clear favorite.
WC gold both indoors and outdoors, EC gold and world records have made Duplantis 2022 one to remember.
The Swede had to crown it all by becoming Diamond League champion and thereby the equivalent of 322,000 kroner richer.
Three championships this year seem to have left their mark on the jumpers. Several had problems already at the slightly lower heights, but four jumpers joined the team up to 5.86 – Duplantis the only flawless one.
However, he was alone over 5.91. Main competitors Renaud Lavillenie and Chris Nilsen stayed at 5.81. Two went to the Norwegian Sondre Guttormsen, who with 5.86 broke a personal record and touched the Norwegian record.
When the others had put their coveralls back on, Duplantis began his real competition – the one against his own records.
He claimed the bar at 6.07, one centimeter over his own course record from last year.
The first attempt was good, but the bar still followed with the Swede down. In the second, however, it remained and Duplantis can add another record to the collection.