One of track and field's oldest world records finally falls — as Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis clears 6.15m, beating the great Sergey Bubka.
— when he broke the world record twice in a week — but Bubka's classic outdoor mark was viewed by many as the ultimate test."World record — finally! It is so cool," Duplantis said.
"I wanted to get over 6.15 so badly. Everybody kept talking about it, it was a big chip on my shoulder … When I did it, it was more relief than joy." The 20-year-old Duplantis, who was born and raised in the United States, came agonisingly close on his first attempt before clearing the bar on his second."Coming into the season we did not know if we were able to do any competition at all. This world record is really unexpected and I am very grateful."
The son of an American pole vaulter who grew up with a pole vault pit in his garden at home in Louisiana, he was vaulting higher than a London double-decker bus as a teenager and at 17, he had already cleared 5.90m. He chose to compete internationally for Sweden, his mother's home country, and won the silver medal at last year's world championships.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Scott Pendlebury goes to the top of Pies' pileOn Monday, Pendlebury will break Tony Shaw's Collingwood games record (313) and Nathan Buckley's club captaincy record (161) when he takes on Port Adelaide.
Read more »
Australia records one of its warmest winters on recordAustralia just had one of its warmest, driest winters, and the year ahead is forecast to be one of the hottest on record around the world.
Read more »
Why Trump will laugh off China's trade winThe World Trade Organisation has ruled the US broke international rules in its trade war with China, but the decision is meaningless.
Read more »
Man 'confronted' officers with knife and pole before being shot, WA Police sayA 37-year-old man who allegedly emerged from bushes and threatened police with a knife and a pole in the northern Perth suburb of Yanchep overnight is shot by two officers and is in a stable condition in hospital.
Read more »
WA records strong jobs growth, but people like mother-to-be Brooke McMahon have been left behindWA records its strongest monthly rise in employment on record, but tens of thousands of West Australians remain without a job and many others are underemployed.
Read more »
Victoria recordsBREAKING: Victoria recorded 45 new coronavirus cases and four deaths as pressure mounts on the Premier to ease restrictions in Melbourne quicker.
Read more »