2LT National News

by sportswriters Wang Zijiang and Yue Chenxing

TOKYO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — He jumped. He shouted. He opened his arms to the roar of more than 50,000 fans inside Tokyo’s National Stadium on a humid Monday night.

Armand Duplantis won again. And once more, he broke the world record. It was the 14th time the Swede has rewritten the men’s pole vault world mark since February 2022, when it stood at “just” 6.17 meters.

The world title itself had come easily. Duplantis secured gold with a flawless first-attempt clearance at 6.15 meters, after sailing cleanly over 5.75, 5.85, 5.95, 6.00 and 6.10. But the record height was a different story.

“I am so happy, I cannot explain it,” Duplantis said. “I felt the only way to leave Japan was to set the world record.”

Each failed attempt only seemed to fuel his confidence. On the first try, he nearly cleared the bar; on the second, it wobbled but held until the last instant before falling. Finally, on his third attempt, Duplantis soared over 6.30 meters — one centimeter higher than the mark he had set just 27 days earlier.

“That was my mentality,” he explained. “I knew I had the record in me. As soon as I take off — from the transition from the ground through the air — I know if the jump is going to be valid. I know if I’ve transferred enough energy, or if it’s not really going to work out.”

At just 25, Duplantis has already won everything. Four years ago, at the same Tokyo stadium but in front of empty seats due to the pandemic, he claimed Olympic gold. Since then, he has captured world titles in Eugene and Budapest, a second Olympic crown in Paris, and now another World Championship triumph — each time pushing the record higher.

This night in Tokyo further cemented his legacy as the sport’s greatest, with the atmosphere matching his performance.

“I am proud of myself for winning the World Championships when it mattered most. Setting the world record is a bonus,” he said. “I guess there is no limit for me. Maybe I’m the one to find out what the limit in pole vault really is. Today was pretty much a dream competition.”

The gulf between Duplantis and the rest of the field was stark. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis claimed silver at 6.00 meters, while Australia’s Kurtis Marschall earned bronze on countback at 5.95. France’s Renaud Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic champion and former world record holder, finished eighth with 5.75.

For Marschall, also a bronze medalist two years ago in Budapest, being part of the moment was an honor in itself. “It was an amazing night,” he said. “I believe it was the highest-level competition in history.”