Duplantis heads stellar cast at US’ first world championships

EUGENE, Oregon: Fresh from setting a new outdoor record, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis heads a stellar cast into the inaugural world championships on US soil in Eugene, Oregon, that kick off on Friday.

Duplantis, who soared to 6.16m in Stockholm at the end of June — 4cm off his overall best of 6.20m set while claiming world indoor gold in Belgrade in March, is seeking a first world title having had to settle for silver in 2019 behind American Sam Hendricks, absent from Eugene through injury.

“I’ve proved to myself and everyone else I’m in pretty good form,” said the US-born and raised Duplantis.

“It’s been nice to come back home and relax before the big dance.”

The Swede fired out a warning shot to allcomers, insisting he took nothing for granted.

“I’ve done a lot to get here. I feel like I’m very hungry,” he said. “I’ve done some pretty great things so far, but there are little things you can always improve.”

Duplantis aside, there is a feast of talent on show at a world championships postponed a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 400m hurdles could be the top track event in both sexes, an event in which Norway’s Karsten Warholm and American Sydney McLaughlin set stunning world records when winning Olympic gols in Tokyo last year.

McLaughlin bettered her record this season and will once again go toe-to-toe with compatriot Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol of the Netherlands, the silver and bronze medal winners in Tokyo.

The situation is more complicated for Warholm, who sustained a hamstring injury in early June, but has vowed he’s back firing on all cylinders having survived the “living hell” of rehabilitation.

“There’s no such thing as going into a championships and feeling just OK. I feel good to go