Paris Olympics 2024: Duplantis breaks pole vault world record on way to gold

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis set a new world record of 6.25m after winning gold in the men’s pole vault.

The 24-year-old, who had secured successive Olympic titles by clearing six metres, set an Olympic record of 6.10m with his next attempt.

And he improved his world best of 6.24m, that he set in April, by one centimetre at his third and final attempt, to the delight of the crowd in the Stade de France.

The two-time world champion has now broken the record on nine occasions.

American Sam Kendricks, cleared 5.95m to take silver, while Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis secured bronze on countback with a best of 5.90m.

Duplantis, the first athlete to retain the pole vault title since American Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956, raced to his friends and family after breaking the world record.

He then embarked on a lap of the track draped in the Swedish flag, as Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ blasted out of the stadium sound system.