DyeStat.com – News – Duplantis Takes Aim At Another WR Before Settling For 6.10m In Sweden

World Record Holder Takes Attempts At 6.22m, Wins Mondo Classic 

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis is no longer just dominating the competition in the pole vault. He’s re-imagining the events themselves and on Thursday in Uppsala, Sweden he was both competitor and host of the Mondo Classic, which was also sponsored by Red Bull. 

Duplantis took on nine of the best vaulters in the world in an atmosphere charged with lights and music and a grandstands on both sides of the 45-meter runway. 

The world and Olympic champion cleared 6.10m (20-0) and then took his first attempts at a new world record height of 6.22m (20-4.75), which would have been his sixth. He ran through his first attempts and missed on his final try. 

Duplantis cleared 6.21 meters last July to establish the current world record at the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene. 

American KC Lightfoot jumped 5.91m (19-4.75), edging out world bronze medalist E.J. Obiena of the Philippines, who tied his own national record, also at 5.91m.

American record holder Sam Kendricks, back from the injury that kept him out of action throughout 2022, tied for sixth at 5.67m (18-7.25).