The men’s pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo turned into yet another showcase of brilliance from Mondo Duplantis. The 25-year-old Swede cleared 6.30m to set his 14th world record, thrilling a packed Japan National Stadium and cementing his place as one of the sport’s great showmen.
The drama began once the bar was raised to six metres. Duplantis, already assured of another global gold after clearing 6.15m, reached for his secret weapon – a special pair of shoes nicknamed “the Claw.” Designed with a front spike that improves acceleration in his 20-stride run-up, the footwear allows him to generate extra speed and power when chasing history. He explained that he only uses them when a world record is within reach, describing them as a signal that “it’s business time.”
His first two attempts at 6.30m were agonisingly close, with one effort failing after a delayed bar drop. Fellow competitors, including silver medallist Emmanouil Karalis, rallied around him in support, even fanning him down to keep him cool between jumps. On his third attempt, Duplantis switched to a stiffer pole, sprinted down the runway, and soared cleanly over the bar. The crowd erupted as he secured another landmark moment in athletics, along with the $100,000 world-record bonus.
Celebrations quickly followed. Duplantis embraced his rivals, sprinted around the track, and shared the moment with his fiancée, Desiré Inglander, before acknowledging the roaring Tokyo crowd. “This is the biggest dream come true for me,” he said, overwhelmed by the atmosphere.
Elsewhere on day two, there was a shock in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase. Double Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali was upset by New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, who recovered from being spiked in the face during the heats to storm to a historic gold — the first track world title for his nation.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji clocked 12.24 seconds to edge past former champion Tobi Amusan. Meanwhile, the men’s 1500m saw all three British runners — Josh Kerr, Neil Gourley, and Jake Wightman — qualify for the final, with Kerr eager to defend his crown after Olympic champion Cole Hocker was disqualified.
The Tokyo championships are already delivering iconic moments, and with Duplantis continuing to rewrite the limits of human performance, the spectacle is far from over.
