Duplantis defies gravity again, sets pole vault world record for 13th time

Agency :

Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis broke his own pole vault world record with a clearance of 6.29 metres at the Hungarian Grand Prix meeting in Budapest on Tuesday, the 13th time he has set a new world mark as he continues to defy gravity.

The double-Olympic champion maintained his tradition of improving on his previous record by one centimetre, with his second attempt at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial overhauling the mark he set in Stockholm in June.

Duplantis had looked a little off his best form, missing his first attempt at 6.11 and, after Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis retired having failed twice at the same height, the Swede had the bar raised to make his usual world record attempt.

The 25-year-old twice world champion was unsuccessful on his first try and while he rattled the bar slightly on his second effort, Duplantis looked up almost in disbelief to see he had again reached a new height in the discipline he dominates.

“I love Hungary very much. The track is very good, I love the crowd, I would like to return, thank you,” Duplantis said.

Duplantis, who won his second world title in the same stadium in 2023, ran straight to the crowd to celebrate with his partner Desire Inglander and his family.