World record holder Mondo Duplantis suffered his first defeat in nearly three years as Australia’s Kurtis Marschall claimed a surprise victory at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday.
Competing before an expectant home crowd, Duplantis cleared only 5.80m before failing twice at 6.00m and once at 6.05m. The result ended his remarkable 40-meet winning streak, which dated back to July 2023.
Marschall seized the opportunity, clearing 5.90m to secure one of the biggest wins of his career and hand the Swedish star a rare defeat.
The setback came at the same meeting where Duplantis broke the world record last year. Since his previous loss at the Monaco Diamond League in 2023, the two-time Olympic champion has dominated the sport, collecting major titles and repeatedly raising the world record, which now stands at 6.31m.
Stockholm fans had hoped to witness another memorable performance from their national hero. Instead, they saw one of athletics’ longest winning streaks come to an end as Marschall stepped out of Duplantis’ shadow to claim a breakthrough victory.
