Duplantis Sets New Pole Vault Record As Retains World Title

Sweden's Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis set a new world record of 6.30 metres as he sensationally defended his world pole vault title in Tokyo on Monday.

Duplantis had already wrapped up the competition with a winning vault of 6.15m before raising the bar another 15cm.

The Swede went clear on his third attempt in what was his 14th world record in a discipline in which he is totally dominant.

The 25-year-old raced off the mat and raced around the track before running into the stands.

Flexing his muscles to the rapturous crowd, he then sought out his partner for a passionate kiss followed by a quick embrace of his parents, much to the delight of a packed National Stadium.

His rivals swarmed around him as he made his way back to the track, enveloped in a Swedish flag.

Greece's Emmanouil Karalis took silver with a best of 6.00m and Australian Kurtis Marschall claimed bronze with a personal best of 5.95m, taking the medal on countback from American Sam Kendricks.

Duplantis came in at the opening height of 5.55m, sailing well clear. He passed at 5.75m but Karalis opted to vault, and with success.

Duplantis passed at 5.90m and then went over at 5.95m to increase the pressure on his rivals as Karalis, Marschall, Kendricks, the French pair of Thibaut Collet and Renaud Lavillenie, Norway's Sondre Mogens Guttormsen and Dutchman Menno Vloon all failed in their first attempts at that height.

Karalis, Kendricks and Marschall then all went clear at 5.95m.

Duplantis was straight back on the runway to go over at 6.00m, followed immedaitely by Karalis, a packed crowd baying as the vaults continued.

The business end of the competition was now at its peak, the question being whether anyone could stay with the two best vaulters of the season.

Just Kendricks and Marschall had a shot left at the 6-metre bar, but it proved too high for either, the Australian guaranteed bronze on countback from the American.

Duplantis cleared 6.10m and 6.15m at the first time of asking while Karalis failed on both his attempts, and an overly ambitious one at 6.20m, to consign himself to a silver medal.

All eyes turned to the scoreboard to see what new height Duplantis would ask for. A hum came from the stands as 6.30m flashed up.

Duplantis went close on his first effort. Karalis turned helper in between vaults as he held an electronic fan to help cool down Duplantis in the stifling conditions.

The Swede's second attempt was even closer, a rib tickler teasing the bar down.

But then came his third, masterful effort. Speed on the runway aligned perfectly with the technically tricky challenges of pole and flight management and Duplantis celebrated as he fell to the mat with another world record in the bag.