Armand Duplantis broke his own pole vault world record with a jump of 6.24 meters at the first Diamond League meeting of the 2024 season in Xiamen, China. The Swedish athlete has now set eight new world records in this event, surpassing his previous best of 6.23 meters. Duplantis is currently gearing up for the Paris Olympics and is considered a strong favorite to win the gold medal in the pole vault competition later this year.
The women’s events at the competition also saw some impressive performances. Torrie Lewis, an Australian sprinter, made a stunning debut in the Diamond League by winning the 200m gold in a time of 22.96 seconds, edging out top American athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson. In the women’s 400m race, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic claimed victory in 50.08 seconds, leading a competitive field that included athletes from Poland and the United States. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico dominated the women’s 100m hurdles event, cruising to a first-place finish in 12.45 seconds.
Duplantis’ incredible form and performance solidify his status as one of the world’s best pole vaulters and he is expected to continue breaking records throughout his career.