At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competed in the men’s pole vault final, showcasing his skills on August 26, 2023. Known as “Mondo,” Duplantis began his outdoor season spectacularly by breaking his own pole vault world record at the Xiamen Diamond League meeting.
The reigning Olympic, two-time world, and European champion, Duplantis cleared 6.24 meters on his first attempt at the Egret Stadium, surpassing his previous record by 1cm set in Eugene the previous year. This marked his eighth world record in the discipline, each achieved by a 1cm improvement since his first record-breaking performance in February 2020 in Torun, Poland.
Entering the competition at 5.62m, Duplantis successfully cleared 5.82m and 6.00m before setting the new world record. Speaking about his achievement, the 24-year-old American-born athlete expressed excitement about beginning his season in China after retaining his world indoor title in Glasgow last month with a 6.10m clearance.
American pole vaulter Sam Hendricks, who finished in second place with a best of 5.82m, praised Duplantis for his exceptional talent, stating that he works incredibly hard and is on his way to becoming the true champion everyone hopes he will be. Despite being second to the world record holder, Hendricks expressed joy at competing alongside Duplantis and witnessing his dedication and skill.