It was an incredibly exciting pole vault final at the indoor WC in Glasgow. After having a bad time at 5.85, which he managed in the last attempt, Armand Duplantis was able to turn the competition around and defend his gold from 2022. “Every time I compete in the Swedish national team clothes, I want to perform well and win,” says Duplantis.
In the men’s pole vault final at the indoor WC in Glasgow, eleven men started, where Sweden’s Armand Duplantis was the reigning champion. The final was more dramatic for Duplantis than we are used to when he was close to tearing himself out already in 5.85.
Duplantis chose to stand over the opening 5.50 and went in at 5.65 where he passed straight away. Duplantis then chose to stand over again at 5.75 and the bar was raised to 5.85.
Duplantis unexpectedly broke his first attempt at 5.85 and also in the second jump the bar fell down. The Swede was under serious pressure before the last jump, while the Greek Emmanouil Karalis and Sam Kendricks from the USA had passed in their first attempts. Duplantis rallied and cleared the height, he was then in bronze place behind leading Kendricks with Karalis in second.
At 5.90, Duplantis opted to stand over while Kendricks tightened his grip on the competition by clearing the height on the first attempt. Karalis broke his first jump and then chose to save his two remaining attempts for the next height.
Duplantis settled at 5.95
The three jumpers remaining in the competition all cleared their opening jumps at 5.95. In the second round, Duplantis turned the contest around when he passed and took the lead. Karalis also broke his second and last attempt and thus took care of the bronze. After two failed attempts, Kendricks chose to save his last jump for 6.00.
Kendricks cleared his only attempt at 6.00 and the gold was secured for Duplantis who claimed the bar at 6.05. After two failed jumps, the Swede was high in the third attempt. The bar went after that to the world record height of 6.24 which would prove to be too high this evening and the gold height was written at 6.05.
– I didn’t jump very well and was a bit all over the place with the jumping, but I won and I won’t complain too much. Of course there was a bit of pressure before the last attempt at 5.85 when anything can happen. I knew I didn’t have to do my best jump to clear 5.85, so I just had to take it easy and breathe, says Armand Duplantis, who was happy to finally be able to take home the gold.
– I am very happy to be able to take home the gold for Sweden and every time I compete in the Swedish national team clothes, I want to perform well and win.
Our IVM guide can be found here.
