Armand Duplantis unsurprisingly won a second European pole vault victory by jumping a bar set at 6m06
A month after the world gold came to complete his prize list, the Swedish Armand Duplantis, reigning Olympic champion, was crowned European champion in the pole vault for the second consecutive time, with a jump to 6.06 m, Saturday in Munich (Germany).
In cool and wet conditions, Duplantis (22) won ahead of the German Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, who topped out at 5.85m, and the Norwegian Pal Haugen Lillefosse (5.75m on the first try).
Renaud Lavillenie, who failed three times at 5.85m after clearing 5.65m on the first try, ranked seventh, two places behind young Thibaut Collet (5.75m on the second try).
For Duplantis, this competition looked like a walk in the park, with five bars crossed on his first attempt, from 5.65 m to 6.06 m, a record for the European Championships, which he already had.
The young Swede is living a radiant summer: a month ago, he offered himself world gold in the open air in Eugene (United States), the only one missing from his brilliant record. And he matched it with a new world record, at 6.21 m.
“Mondo” is now reigning Olympic champion, reigning outdoor and indoor world champion (2022), double European outdoor champion (2018 and 2022) and European indoor champion (2021).
Duplantis has not lost the slightest competition of the year, both outdoors and indoors. There are sixteen disputed and won in 2022, including thirteen above 6 meters. His last defeat dates back to the end of August 2021 in Lausanne (Switzerland).