Pole vaulter Armand Duplantis (22) had a perfect year so far. Seventeen victories in as many competitions, including 14 above six meters, three world records, plus world and European gold.
But the beautiful Swedish mechanics suddenly came to a standstill on Friday evening, at the meeting in Brussels. “Mondo” peaked at 5.81 m, when the Filipino Ernest John Obiena crossed 5.91 m on his third and last try. Enough to relegate the Scandinavian pole vaulter to an unusual second place.
This is his first defeat for a little over a year, after winning twenty competitions in a row. The latest dated back to August 26, 2021 in Lausanne (Switzerland).
“I am human and I make mistakes”
“Obviously I didn’t jump the way I would have liked. I’m sure I could have jumped higher. I am human and I make mistakes, I made some today, that’s for sure, ”conceded the Olympic and world champion.
“I didn’t find the right rhythm on the runway. My head was elsewhere. It happens sometimes. It is not easy. You have to be at a precise angle and have speed to take off and I didn’t succeed today, ”he added before planning for his next meeting, in a week.
“In Zurich, I will try to come back a little stronger. I want to end the year on a high note,” he concluded.