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'From another world': Fans erupt over 'insane' moment at Olympics

Mondo Duplantis, pictured here clearing the bar by an absurd margin on his gold medal-winning jump.
Mondo Duplantis cleared the bar by an absurd margin on his gold medal-winning jump. Image: BBC

Mondo Duplantis left the athletics world in awe at the Olympics on Tuesday night as he soared to victory in the men's pole vault final.

The 21-year-old from Sweden, who finished with a silver medal behind world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States in 2019, is the only man to fly over six metres this year.

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He won gold on his first attempt to clear 6.02 metres on Tuesday night.

The Swede only needed five jumps during the final to clear the bar at heights of 5.55, 5.80, 5.92, 5.97 and the gold-winning leap of 6.02.

"It's a surreal feeling, really, I still don't know how to explain it," Duplantis told reporters.

"It's something I've wanted for so long and now that it's finally here, and I finally did it, it's so crazy.

"Ever since I was a little kid I have loved this sport so much and I have always believed that it would take me to some great places, and the fact that I'm actually here, I'm at the Olympics and being able to win it is fantastic."

Armand Duplantis, pictured here after winning pole vault gold at the Olympics.
Armand Duplantis celebrates winning pole vault gold at the Olympics. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Duplantis shot to global stardom when he twice broke the world record of 6.16m with clearances of 6.17m and 6.18m in February last year on the World Indoor Tour.

That earned him the accolade of the male World Athlete of the Year in 2020.

On Tuesday night he was so dominant that his gold medal-winning leap cleared the bar by an extraordinary margin.

A photo of the insane leap sent fans into a frenzy on social media.

Duplantis narrowly misses breaking world record again

Having sealed the gold medal on a warm and humid night in Tokyo, Duplantis decided to go for another world record attempt at 6.19m.

Cheered on by his fellow competitors from the final and those present in the stands, Duplantis went over on his first attempt.

However his chest caught the bar on the way down. He tried twice more but it was not to be.

"The world record would have been nice, and I felt like I was close, but it is what it is. I'm not going to sit here and complain," he said.

He became the first world record holder to win Olympic gold in the men's pole vault since Sergey Bubka in 1988 in Seoul.

American Chris Nilsen cleared the bar at 5.97 with his first attempt at the height to challenge for the gold, but couldn't match Duplantis's 6.02 effort and picked up the silver medal.

Brazil's Thiago Braz, who won the title at his home Olympics in Rio five years ago, took bronze with his effort of 5.87.

with agencies

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