With an amazing world record, Armand “Mondo” Duplantis won his first world title in Eugene. The pole vault star jumped 6.21 m to gold. Oleg Zernikel surprised with a strong fifth place, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre was seventh.
Everyone had expected an air show from the high-flyer Duplantis and he delivered. In the second attempt, the Olympic champion took the 6.21 m and improved his old record by one centimeter. The rushing conclusion of the World Championships in Eugene. “I was a bit tired but I love jumping here in Eugene,” said Duplantis.
Third world record this year
In addition to the world champion prize of 70,000 dollars, the bar artist can look forward to an additional world record prize of 100,000 euros. It is the third world record this year for the 22-year-old. On March 7th he had crossed 6.20 meters at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and two weeks earlier in the same place 6.19 meters. In pole vaulting, world records achieved indoors and outdoors are equivalent.
Once again, the competition could only watch in awe as Duplantis ventured into new spheres. “Incredible. He makes it easy,” said Oleg Zernikel in the ARD interview. “He’s so fast and jumps so easily.”
Behind the exceptional talent from Sweden, it was also Zernikel himself who delighted the spectators with a great competition. The Olympic ninth jumped a personal best of 5.87 m. “It was the best competition of my career so far,” Zernikel said happily. “I still had a little hope of a medal, but I’m completely satisfied.”
It was his very, very strong competition in terms of level. I have to do better than that to get a medal. But that spurs me on.
For Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, fourth at the World Championships, the dream of a medal has not yet come true. For the seventh was also at 5.87 m terminus. The 23-year-old had recently improved to 5.90 m at the German championships, but needed too many attempts in Eugene. “In a championship you have to jump every height in the first attempt, the timing wasn’t quite right yet,” he said.
The last German World Cup medal so far was won by former world champion Raphael Holzdeppe in Beijing in 2015 with silver.