Athletics – Two-times Olympic champion Armand Duplantis soared to another victory in his illustrious resume, winning the city pole vault competition yesterday to open the Lausanne Diamond League meeting.
The 24-year-old cleared a meeting record of 6.15 metres at Place de la Navigation, two weeks after he captured his second consecutive Olympic title with a stunning world-record 6.25 jump in Paris.
The Swede needed just four jumps to clinch yesterday’s victory with a height of 6.0, then had the bar raised to a meeting-record 6.15, clearing it on his third attempt.
“It’s always nerve-wracking when you have a big performance like I did at the Olympics,” Duplantis told reporters. “I stepped out on the track today and I really loved it.”
Olympic silver medallist Sam Kendricks of the US cleared 5.92 for second place. Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen, Australia’s Kurtis Marschall and E.J. Obiena of the Philippines finished in a three-way tie for third with 5.82.
The event followed what has become a familiar pattern, with Duplantis biding his time before coming in relatively late with a first-time clearance at 5.62m and returning to the proceedings for further instant successes at 5.82m, 5.92m and 6.00m.
After two failures in his attempt to better the mark he set at this same venue in 2022, it looked as if he had passed the high point of his competition. But, as he has so often in recent years, he raised his level to provide a fervent crowd with a moment to remember.
As he prepared for his final efforts, Duplantis had been advised by his good friend Renaud Lavillenie, his predecessor as world record-holder, who had made an emotional return to Diamond League competition having missed out on qualifying for the Olympics in his home country by one place at the national trials.
Duplantis wowed the Stade de France crowd at the Paris Olympics when he broke the world record for a ninth time.
The remainder of the Lausanne Diamond League programme is today at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
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