Armand Duplantis broke the men’s pole vault world record for a 12th time with a clearance of 6.28m at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.
This one was extra special for the 25-year-old, however, as it was the first time he had improved the world best in Sweden.
Born in the United States, Duplantis – who is commonly known by his nickname ‘Mondo’ – represents his mother’s native country.
He had already secured victory in the event when he cleared the new record height at the first attempt before removing his vest, celebrating with friends and family, and taking the acclaim of his home crowd.
“I feel full to the brim right now,” said double Olympic champion Duplantis.
He had said before the event, external that breaking the world record in Stockholm “felt like the only thing missing” and “kind of a thing I can’t get off my mind”.
After achieving his goal, he said: “The first time I jumped in this stadium when I was 11 years old, it was rainy, cold and I jumped right under four metres. It was quite high for how young I was.
“They etch the names of world record holders here. It’s going to be really special to have my name etched in the stadium. It’s the most beautiful stadium, in my biased opinion.
“It’ll be one of the greatest memories for me, I think, in my career.”
Duplantis first broke the world record, then held by Renaud Lavillenie of France, in February 2020 with a 6.17m clearance in Poland.
