Lausanne Diamond League 2024: Mondo Duplantis shatters own meeting record to win men's pole vault title

Mondo Duplantis surpasses his two year meeting record in his fifth attempt.

Sixteen days after retaining his Olympic pole vault title with his ninth world record, Mondo Duplantis returned to action in majestic fashion on Wednesday as he added five centimetres to his own meeting record at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, clearing 6.15m.

The 24-year-old Swede produced the perfect ending to a competition that took place in heavenly conditions at the matchless venue in Ouchy, on the shore of Lake Leman.

“I love this so much,” Mondo Duplantis told the crowd afterwards. “I love jumping in front of you guys. That was all I could do today. I hope you guys enjoyed it.”

After seeing off a field that included Olympic medallists Sam Kendricks of the United States and Emmanouil Karalis of Greece with a first-time vault of 6.00m, Duplantis produced his coup de theatre for a packed and appreciative crowd on his third attempt, just as the sun was beginning to sink below the masts of the multitude of yachts bobbing at anchor in the neighbouring harbour.

Also Read: Lausanne Diamond League 2024: Full schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details

The men, women and children who had assembled for this free city event spectacle departed with a spring in their step – and who knows what seeds may have been sown for the future of the sport.

Kendricks, the world champion of 2017 and 2019, was combative as ever, taking second place with a first-time clearance of 5.92m.

Third place went to Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen with a season’s best of 5.82m – a height that was also cleared by Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, Philippines’ world silver medallist Ernest John Obiena and Karalis, who finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

The event followed what has become a familiar pattern, with Mondo 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.

Six days earlier, the 37-year-old 2012 Olympic champion had put himself back into the mix by clearing 5.70m at a meeting in Deux-Ponts, Germany. Tonight he underlined the realism of his vow to seek a fourth Olympic appearance at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as he equalled his season’s best of 5.72m. The intensity of his joy in this achievement was something to behold.

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