Agencies
Ostrava
Armand Duplantis improved his own best pole vault attempt of 2023 by a centimetre to 6.12 metres at the Golden Spike athletics meet in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
The US-born Swedish athlete, the reigning Olympic and world champion, previously cleared 6.11 metres in Hengelo, Netherlands, on June 4.
In February, Duplantis set a world record of 6.22 metres at an indoor meet in France.
In the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on Tuesday, Duplantis only managed 5.90m at the second attempt on the rather chilly summer day.
But he got over 6.00m with ease as the only pole vaulter left in the competition and then had the bar raised straight to 6.12m which he also cleared at the first attempt.
He then tried 6.17m but failed as the 23-year-old hones his form ahead of this year’s world championships in Budapest starting on August 19.
"I think 6.12 was pretty much about the highest I was going to make today,” Duplantis said.
"I’m pretty satisfied. I liked the way I was jumping.
"The jump at 6.12 was good, it was good for the day. It was a little bit colder than I would have liked today,” he added.
Also at Ostrava, South Africa’s Akani Simbine won the men’s 100 metres in 9.98 seconds ahead of Italy’s European 60m indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli, in 10.15sec.
Canada’s Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse rounded out the podium in third in a season’s best of 10.21.