TOKYO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's Armand Duplantis further cemented his legacy as pole-vaulting's greatest, breaking his own world record with a 6.30-meter clearance to win his third consecutive men's pole vault title at the World Athletics Championships on Monday.
The 25-year-old, a two-time Olympic champion, electrified the Tokyo National Stadium crowd by surpassing his previous world record of 6.29 meters, set in August, on his third attempt at 6.30 meters. Duplantis had already secured the gold with a flawless first-attempt clearance at 6.15 meters, following effortless jumps at 5.75, 5.85, 5.95, 6.00, and 6.10 meters.
Greece's Emmanouil Karalis earned silver with a first-attempt clearance of 6.00 meters, while Australia's Kurtis Marschall took bronze at 5.95 meters. American Sam Kendricks, the 2017 and 2019 world champion, placed fourth, also clearing 5.95 meters but with more attempts than Marschall. France's Renaud Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic champion and former world record holder, finished eighth at 5.75 meters. ■
