Sweden's Armand Duplantis breaks Pole Vault world record
The record needs to be officially ratified by World Athletics subject to a clean doping test.
Last Updated: 08/02/20 9:51pm
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis has broken the men's world record with a height of six metres, 17cm.
Duplantis set the new mark at an indoor meeting in Torun, Poland, beating the record set by France's Renaud Lavillenie in 2014 by just one centimetre.
It's a strong statement ahead of the pole vault competition at the Olympics in Tokyo in August.
"It's something that I wanted since I was three years old," Duplantis said of his record.
"It's a big year, but it's a good way to start it."
Nicknamed Mondo, Duplantis broke the world record in his second attempt on Saturday after earlier winning the competition with ease. He attempted the record without success at another meet in Germany four days ago.
The 20-year-old, who was born and raised in the United States, was a child prodigy who broke age-group records on his way to joining the pole vaulting elite. He chose to compete internationally for Sweden, his mother's home country and won the silver medal at last year's world championships.
The record needs to be officially ratified by World Athletics, which doesn't approve records until it receives confirmation of a clean doping test from the event.
