Duplantis soars to pole vault victory on banks of Lake Geneva

LAUSANNE: Olympic champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis won the Lausanne Diamond League pole vault competition staged on the banks of Lake Geneva on Thursday (Aug 25).

The 22-year-old Swedish star again put his rivals in the shade with a winning 6.10m vault achieved on his third attempt.

Olympic silver medallist Chris Nilsen took second place with 5.80m in the event held a day before the main Diamond League programme in the Swiss city.

Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines was third also on 5.80m.

It was Duplantis's 17th pole vault competition of the year and he remains undefeated in 2022.

Duplantis improved his world record to 6.21m in July on his way to becoming world champion in Eugene, Oregon. He then swept to the European title in Munich last week.

After clearing 6.10m on Thursday, he did not attempt to improve his world record.

Watching on from the sidelines was Ukrainian pole vault legend Sergey Bubka, the only other man to have crossed the 6.10m mark outdoors with a career best of 6.14m in 1994.