Armand Duplantis thrilled a raucous home crowd in Stockholm by breaking his own men’s pole vault world record with a stunning 6.28m clearance. It marked the 12th time the 25-year-old has rewritten the world record and the first time he’s done it on Swedish soil.
Duplantis, who was born in the US but represents Sweden, delighted fans at the historic Olympiastadion by clearing the bar on his first attempt. He had promised before the competition that he would go for the record and delivered in emphatic style. As the bar was raised from 6m to the world-record height, the crowd erupted in support, clapping and cheering with increasing intensity.
Kurtis Marschall of Australia was the closest challenger, managing a height of 5.90m before failing three times at 6m, leaving Duplantis alone to chase history. When the moment came, he powered through his run-up, planted his pole, and launched into the air, soaring over 6.28m with apparent ease. The stadium, which dates back to the 1912 Olympics, erupted in jubilation.
Tearing off his singlet in celebration, Duplantis sprinted away from the landing mat to embrace his partner and family. “This was one of my biggest goals and dreams, to set a world record here at Stadion,” he said afterward, overwhelmed with emotion. “It’s like the Olympics and Stadion, they’re the same level for me. I really wanted to do it, I had my whole family here, from both sides, it’s magic, it’s magic.”
He admitted that the jump didn’t come as effortlessly as previous records. “It didn’t feel that natural from the beginning, it didn’t feel great in my legs, but I only needed one [try],” he said. Despite appearing confident, Duplantis wasn’t sure he had made it until his back hit the mat. “It felt like the very first time I broke the record. It feels unreal, I’m just so happy. It’s a cloud nine feeling.”
Elsewhere in the meet, Georgia Hunter Bell delivered a dramatic win in the women’s 800m, clocking 1:57.66. The 1500m bronze medallist from Paris surged in the final 50m, overtaking Kenya’s Mary Moraa and South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso with a powerful finish in lane three.
In the women’s 100m, Dina Asher-Smith ran 10.93 to take second behind Olympic champion Julien Alfred, who stormed to victory in 10.75. Daryll Neita finished fifth in 11.17. Amber Anning placed third in the women’s 400m behind Isabella Whittaker, who won with a season-best 50.17.
Innes Fitzgerald and Hannah Nuttall ran personal bests of 8:32.90 and 8:33.82 to finish third and fourth in the women’s 3,000m. George Mills was fifth in the men’s 1500m with a season-best 3:32.67, and Alastair Chalmers also placed fifth in the 400m hurdles. Femke Bol stormed to a season-best 52.11, finishing well ahead of Dalilah Muhammad.
