Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, 22, did not disappoint on the final day of action in Eugene. The Swedish pole vaulter who was born in Louisiana broke his own world record, clearing 6.21 meters (20 feet, 4.5 inches) to close out the championships.
He completed his celebration on the track with a front flip.
Mondo’s world record pole vault by the numbers
Here are some stats from Mondo’s jaw-dropping performance.
47: Times that Duplantis has cleared 6.00 meters (19 feet, 8.2 inches), which breaks a tie for most all time with former world record holder Sergey Bubka of Ukraine
0.15: Meters (5.9 inches) by which the bar was raised between Duplantis’s title-clinching vault and record-setting vault
0.01: Meters by which Duplantis bettered his indoor best (6.20 meters), which had previously stood as the best vault ever, indoors or outdoors
1: Athletes who have won titles at the World Championships, Olympic Games, World Indoor, World Junior, World Youth, and European Championships (Duplantis).
3: But Mus margin of victory this time was almost imperceptible: 0.08 seconds.
24: Days since Duplantis last set the outdoor best mark. At the Diamond League meet in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 30, Duplantis vaulted 6.15 meters.
$100K: U.S. Wins the Medal Count at World Championships Sydney McLaughlin U.S. Wins the Medal Count at World Championships.
In the 5,000 meters, redemption for two runners-up
Norwegian superstar Jakob Ingebrigtsen got a measure of redemption tonight when he won the 5,000 meters in 13:09.24, well ahead of Jacob Krop of Kenya (13:09.98), and Oscar Chelimo of Uganda (13:10.20).
Ingebrigtsen was bitterly disappointed five days earlier, when he was beaten in the 1500 meters, his signature event and the race in which he was the favorite.
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“I have been very, very disappointed even though I got the silver medal,” Ingebrigtsen said. “But with myself, I know that I could have done better, so that was the reason why I was disappointed with myself. But today, I felt very good. I have been thinking a lot towards this race to prepare myself the best way possible and finally, I am a world champion.”
There was a similar situation in the women’s 1500. Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia was the runner-up in the women’s 1500, behind Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (although Kipyegon was the heavy gold medal favorite). Tsegay came back a few days later to win the 5,000 meters and leaves the meet—like Ingebrigtsen—with a gold and a silver.
Athing Mu was pushed to the limit
Last year at the Olympics, Athing Mu won the gold medal and Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain was second. Mu’s margin of victory was substantial: 0.67 seconds.
Today, the result was the same. Mu won world championships gold, the first time an American woman has won a world 800-meter title. Again, Hodgkinson was second.
But Mu’s margin of victory this time was almost imperceptible: 0.08 seconds.
Hodgkinson, asked what she was thinking down the home straight, said, “I’m thinking, ‘You can get her, you can get her, keep going, keep going.’”
She came in to try to win. “To come so close is a positive and a negative at the same time,” she said.
Mu, for her part, said she wasn’t feeling at her best physically and knew she would be facing a battle. “I just wanted to make sure I held my composure and ran all the way through the line,” she said.
Both athletes are 20 years old, and fans expect to enjoy their rivalry for years to come.
World record falls in the 100-meter hurdles...when no one was expecting it
It happened so fast!
During the first of three semifinal heats of the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Tobi Amusan of Nigeria ran 12.12, breaking the world record of 12.20 that had stood since 2016.
Spectators and commentators weren’t on world record watch during the semis. It took a few moments for everyone to register what had just happened. And Amusan got pictures with the clock, but she didn’t have long to celebrate. She had to clear the track for the next two heats. And she had to prepare for the final, 90 minutes later.
In the final, Amusan won again, this time in an incredible 12.06, but the time is not record-eligible because it was wind-aided.
“Honestly, I believe in my abilities but I was not expecting a world record at these championships,” she said. “I knew I had it in me but I could not believe it when I saw it on the screen after the semis.”
since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books.
A gold medal drought for Kenyan long distance runners
Kenya is well known for its distance running prowess, and the team accumulated plenty of medals—just not the top prize in the distance races. According to NBC Sports, for the first time since 1983, Kenya took no gold medals from the men’s and women’s 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters, marathons, or 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Duplantis now owns the top three vaults of all time outdoors. Faith Kipyegon continued her dominance in the women’s 1500 meters, running to gold. Emmanuel Korir captured the title in the men’s 800 meters, following his victory in the event from last year’s Olympics. And Kenya captured 10 medals overall, tied for second in the overall medal count with Jamaica and Ethiopia.
The Medal Count
The United States team closed out the meet with 33 medals—13 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze. Ethiopia and Jamaica tied for second with 10 apiece. The U.S. tally exceeded the previous record for medals in a single championship, 31, which was set by East Germany in 1987.
After the meet, the U.S. team gathered at the far turn for a presentation of a team trophy—the first time the category has been recognized. Athing Mu, winner of the 800 meters, accepted the award on behalf of Team USA.
Nutrition - Weight Loss is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
