World Athletics Championships 2023: Mondo Duplantis soars to pole vault gold in Budapest thriller
The American-born Swede secures a second world title with a jump of 6.10m but narrowly misses out on a new world record. Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines equals the Asian record to win silver while the USA's Christoper Nilsen and Australia's Kurtis Marschall share bronze.
Athletics
Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis has been crowned world champion for a second year in a row in a thrilling pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships 2023 on Saturday (26 August).
The American-born Swede soared over 6.10m to win a memorable gold medal on a hot and humid evening in Budapest. However, a new world record proved to be just outside his reach as he skimmed the bar on his final two attempts after raising the height to 6.23m.
The silver medal went to Philipinnes' Ernest John Obiena who equalled his own Asian record of 6.00m, while bronze was shared between the USA's Christopher Nilsen and Australia's Kurtis Marschall.
"It's great," Duplantis said to reporters after the final. "I'm not that disappointed [to miss out on the world record] because it seemed like Chris [Nilsen], EJ [Obiena] and Kurtis [Marschall] they were all in very good shape and they're all guys that can jump six metres.
"And for EJ to do that [clear 6.00m], especially on the first attempt puts a lot of pressure on you. You've got to really go out there and get it done. I'm glad I was able to do it."
Of the 13 men in the final, only four had cleared six metres or above in their careers before today. Duplantis had gone over that mark in 49 different competitions.
And the 50th was soon to come as he flew over 6.00m at the first attempt.
With the bar raised to 6.05m, Obiena fell short with his first jump, with Duplantis continuing his perfect streak in the final by clearing the mark a the first time of asking.
It left the Filipino with two more tries to jump higher than he had ever done before - and he took the challenge to Duplantis by moving the bar to 6.10m.
Duplantis, as he had all competition, sealed the gold medal by flying over the mark on his first jump, while Obiena bowed out after failing with his two final jumps.
But as the crowd burst into life an air of expectation grew in the stadium, with many Swedish fans frantically waving the cardboard fans they had been cooling themselves with all evening above their heads.
This was pure drama - the type that only Mondo can produce.
Would Duplantis attempt to set a new outdoor record of 6.22m or a new outright record a centimetre above? The answer came swiftly as the bar was raised to 6.23m.
But this was a day for gold medals not world records, as a slightly subdued Duplantis fell short on his three attempts, After his final jump he punched the air to celebrate his victory - albeit in a more understated manner than we've seen before.
He remains the world title holder and greatest jumper of all time, but athletics fans will need to wait a little longer for a new world record.