ROME, ITALY, June 07–12 — Reminiscent of the ’22 Worlds, Mondo Duplantis was the very last athlete in action after six days in Rome — the European Championships returning to the Italian capital after a half-century hiatus. The Louisiana-born Swede kept the eyes of an estimated 18,000 crowd glued to the PV runway even though the clock was edging towards midnight.
In Eugene just under two years ago, he went clear at what was then a 20-4½ (6.21) WR, subsequently improved upon on three occasions in the last 23 months, and in Rome he so very nearly added to his tally of WRs, which currently come in at 8, with his first attempt at 20-6 (6.25).
With more than a few inches to spare at his apex, Duplantis just nudged off the bar with his chest on the way down. It was the best of his three attempts at the WR height but showed that his current mark of 20-5½ (6.24) may not last the summer.
In the end, his winning 20-0 (6.10) clearance — worth a €50,000 ($54,000) performance bonus at the first Euros ever to have prize money — with Mondo flawless up to that height after also jumping 18-6½ (5.65), 19-1 (5.82), 19-5 (5.92), 19-7 (5.97) at the first time of asking, was a CR and his sixtieth competition jumping 6.00m or more.
“The main goal was to go out there and to win, take home my third gold. I am very satisfied with the height; I did not really think I was attempting the WR today. It was not part of the plan. After the 6.10, there was just too much energy still there. I looked at my parents [and coaches Greg and Helena Duplantis] and we both had the same idea. We were like, ‘It is just fun, so why not?‘ I can’t complain,” joked Duplantis.
A distant 2nd was Greece’s Emmanouíl Karalís, who PRed at 19-3 (5.87), giving Mondo a record margin of victory in a Euros PV.
The innovative raised horizontal jumps runway 6 feet above the ground down the back straight saw some stunning long- and triple jump performances as well.
Former Cubans Jordan Díaz, recently cleared to represent Spain, and Portugal’s reigning Olympic TJ champ and ’22 WC winner Pedro Pichardo had a magnificent head-to-head contest which saw two men go over 18 meters in the same competition for only the second time in history, after the ’15 Doha DL.
Pichardo opened with 57-5½ (17.51) to which Díaz replied with 57-7½ (17.56). In the second…
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