Duplantis' Record-Breaking Performance

Armand Duplantis, the Swedish Olympic and world champion, has set a new standard in men's pole vaulting by improving his own world record to 6.27 meters at the All Star Perche event in Clermont-Ferrand, France. This monumental achievement marks the 11th time Duplantis has broken the world record in his career, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest athletes in the sport's history.

The Path to 6.27m

Duplantis began his quest by securing victory at the event with a successful clearance over 6.02 meters. He then aimed to surpass his previous record set in August 2024 by one centimeter—a goal he achieved on his very first attempt. This remarkable feat comes five years after he first broke the world record with a height of 6.17 meters in February 2020.

A Legacy of Excellence

Duplantis has consistently pushed the boundaries of pole vaulting, incrementally improving the world record by one centimeter at a time. Since his first record-breaking performance at the age of 20, he has secured 10 major international titles, including back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2020 and 2024.

In Paris 2024, Duplantis became the first man to retain the Olympic pole vault title since Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956. Looking ahead to 2025, Duplantis has the opportunity to achieve a hat-trick of gold medals at both the indoor and outdoor world championships.

Caudery's Impressive Performance

In related athletics news, Molly Caudery, the reigning world indoor pole vault champion from Britain, claimed the World Indoor Tour Gold title with a season's best clearance of 4.85 meters in Madrid. Caudery's performance, the second-highest mark in the world this year, earned her 27 points across her best three series performances, securing the title over Slovenia's Tina Sutej.

Caudery has decided to skip the European Indoor Athletics Championships to focus on defending her global title in Nanjing, China, later in the month, citing a small calf injury.

Looking Ahead

Both Duplantis and Caudery continue to inspire the athletics world with their unparalleled achievements. As they prepare for their next challenges, the global athletics community eagerly anticipates their future performances.