Armand Duplantis breaks pole vault world file for 14th time to seize third world championship title

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis broke the pole vault world file for the 14th time Monday (September 15, 2025), clearing 6.30 meters to seize his third world championship.

Duplantis, who grew up in Louisiana however competes for his mom’s native Sweden, simply received his forty ninth straight meet and fifth straight main title, together with Olympics, then saved the gang round for one more drama-rich half-hour to observe him go for the file.

He cleared his high peak (20 toes, 8 inches) on his third and remaining strive — the bar nonetheless bouncing however not falling as he leaped off the mat and jumped into second-place finisher Emmanouil Karalis’ arms to start out the celebration.

Spectators have fun as Sweden’s Armand Duplantis makes a clearance to interrupt the world file after successful gold within the males’s pole vault remaining on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, on September 15, 2025.
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AP

Duplantis will get $70,000 for the victory plus a $100,000 bonus for setting the file on the world championships. The jam-packed stadium that caught round for his finale will get an ideal reminiscence.

“To present you guys this second, it’s simply wonderful,” Duplantis mentioned in an in-stadium interview.

The 25-year-old first broke the file on Feb. 8, 2020, clearing 6.17 meters and knocking France’s 2012 Olympic champion, Renaud Lavillenie, off the highest spot.

Since then, Duplantis has improved upon the file by one centimeter each time, giving him extra alternatives to pocket bonuses just like the one he will get at this occasion.

“What Mondo has in spades is what each pole vaulter is attempting to realize,” mentioned Sam Kendricks, who completed fourth. “He’s bought a leap, he’s bought the jets. He’s bought a household that basically helps him, after which he’s bought a area of fellows that’s actually pushing him up there.” As nice a showman as an athlete, Duplantis shared handshakes and hugs with all these guys after Karalis missed at 6.20 meters to ensure Duplantis the win.

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis celebrates with United States’ Sam Kendricks and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis after making a clearance to interrupt the world file after successful gold within the males’s pole vault remaining on the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, on September 15, 2025.
| Picture Credit score:
AP

He headed over to the sting of the monitor to seek the advice of together with his coach, walked again close to the runway and took a seat, then stood up, chalked up his fingers and let the drama start.

Simply as he did a 12 months in the past on the Paris Olympics, Duplantis missed his first two tries, leaving himself with one, final all-or-nothing try.

After sitting for about 5 minutes, he bought up, took off, reached a velocity of greater than 35 kilometers per hour (22 mph), then went vaulting over the best peak ever cleared — sufficient room to suit a full-sized pickup truck.

“I imagine in him,” mentioned his dad, Greg. “I believed he was going to make it on the final one. You’ve bought to imagine.”