Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis of Sweden shattered his own pole vault world record by leaping 6.28 meters during the Stockholm Diamond League competition, exciting the home crowd. The 25-year-old Olympic champion won before attempting the record, and he did so on his first try, surpassing his previous mark of 6.27 meters set in France in February.
Celebrating with visible emotion, Duplantis ripped off his shirt and ran along the track, cheered by an electrified audience at Stockholm’s historic 1912 Olympic Stadium. It was his first time breaking the record on Swedish territory, and he marked the experience as “magical” and one of the highlights of his career.
This was Duplantis’ 12th world record and 37th victory in 41 Diamond League competitions. He dominated the race, finishing much ahead of Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, who reached 5.90 meters. Duplantis stated that breaking the record at home was the last missing feat in his accolades.
The American-born athlete, who initially smashed the world record in 2020, is now targeting the 6.30m target. He remains the leading contender for gold at the 2018 World Championships in Tokyo.
