Duplantis manages 6.19 m to break the world record in pole vault
The record came at the arena where the indoor WC starts on March 18 with the pole vault final for men on March 20.
Sweden’s Armand Duplantis poses next to the scoreboard after breaking his own world record in pole vault at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Silver meeting in Belgrade on March 7, 2022. Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP
BELGRADE – Armand Duplantis warned of “this is just the beginning” when he broke his own world record in pole vault on Monday and managed 6.19 meters in his third attempt at the indoor meeting in Belgrade.
“I feel that I can jump much higher than I have jumped. I feel that this is just the beginning. I think there are many more obstacles to step on, when I enter the 6.20s,” Duplantis told reporters at the track.
The record came at the arena where the indoor WC starts on March 18 with the pole vault final for men on March 20.
The 22-year-old Swedish Olympic champion broke a world record in an almost empty hall, and in a competition where he was the only top-ranked pole vaulter.
After passing 5.61 m, 5.85 m and then 6 m, he passed 6.19 m on his third attempt before rushing into the arms of his girlfriend at the edge of the track for a kiss.
“I do not usually train with heights like this, but I felt really confident going to it today.
“The only thing I thought about from the beginning was the world record,” Duplantis explained.
“That was all I cared about today. If I did not break the world record, I would be upset.”
Duplantis added: “I think I have tried 6.19 m 50 times.
“It’s been a long time. I’ve never had a length that has given me so much trouble, so it’s a very good feeling. It’s been a really hard fight the last two years. I’m really happy.”
He had already tried 6.19m this winter in Karlsruhe in Germany, Berlin, Uppsala in Sweden and in Birmingham, without success.
“From now on, I will attack 6.20 m, even in two weeks,” he said, confident in his strength compared to the solid competition from the American Chris Nilsen, who managed 6.05 m on Friday in Rouen.
The Swede had held the record since February 2020, when he managed 6.17 in Torun in Poland and then 6.18 in Glasgow at one-week intervals.
Sometimes he seems to be able to raise the record one centimeter at a time, like the Soviet and Ukrainian great Sergey Bubka, who at the time when outdoors and indoors were considered separate, broke the world record outdoors 17 times and set the indoor best 18 times between 1984 and 1994.
World Athletics has eliminated the difference between indoor and outdoor pole vault records.
Duplantis, nicknamed “Mondo”, was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, but competes for Sweden through his mother, who trains him with his father.
He became European Champion 2018 in Berlin at just 18 years old, and took the Olympic title last summer in Tokyo with a jump of 6.02m.
He will be the overwhelming favorite next week to take one of the two missing titles from his record, along with the World Outdoor title which he will have the opportunity to win in July in Eugene, Oregon.