Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a 24-year-old athlete from Sweden, put on an incredible performance at the Xiamen Diamond League meeting and broke his own pole vault world record. The competition took place at the Egret Stadium where Duplantis cleared 6.24 meters on his first attempt, surpassing his previous record set in Eugene by just 1cm. This marked the eighth time that Duplantis has broken his own record, each time by an increase of 1cm since his first record-breaking performance in 2020 in Torun, Poland.
Duplantis started the competition at 5.62m and advanced through 5.82m and 6.00m before achieving the new world record. He expressed excitement about beginning his season in China and highlighted his victory at the world indoor championships in Glasgow last month with a clearance of 6.10 meters. American pole vaulter Sam Hendricks finished second with a clearance of 5.82 meters and praised Duplantis for his hard work and success. Hendricks acknowledged Duplantis as a true champion and expressed joy in being second place behind the world record holder while also noting Duplantis’ dedication and journey to becoming the champion he is today, emphasizing the high regard in which Duplantis is held among his peers in the sport.