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Xiamen, China: Sweden’s Armand Duplantis broke his own pole vault world record with a clearance of 6.24 metres in the first event of the 2024 Diamond League season on Saturday, setting the stage for this year’s Paris Olympics.
Duplantis broke his own record of 6.23 meters set in the Eugene Diamond League final in September, clearing the bar with ease before leaping off the foam mat below and galloping away to celebrate his first outdoor competition of the year.
This is the eighth time Duplantis has broken the world record and the 24-year-old is the only man to have cleared six metres at the Egret Stadium.
The Olympic and two-time world outdoor champion won a second world indoor title in March and will go into his second Olympics this July and August as a favourite.
Sweden’s Armand Duplantis celebrates after winning the men’s pole vault final and setting a new world record REUTERS
Australia’s Torrie Lewis put in a strong performance in her Diamond League debut, with the 19-year-old beating out a host of American runners, including Sha’Carri Richardson, to win the women’s 200m gold in lane nine in 22.96 seconds.
Richardson, who won bronze in the 200m at last year’s world championships, finished second in 22.99, ahead of compatriots Tamara Clark, Anavia Battle and Twanisha Terry.
World champion Marieledi Paulino had earlier won the first track and field gold medal of the Diamond League season in the women’s 400m, with the Dominican athlete winning the race in an easy time of 50.08 seconds, ahead of Natalia Kaczmarek (50.29 seconds) and Britton Wilson (51.26 seconds).
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn then took the lead in the women’s 100m hurdles, with the Puerto Rican finishing easily in 12.45 seconds. —Reuters
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