Swedish athlete Mondo Duplantis began his 2024 Wanda Diamond League season in Xiamen on Saturday with a stunning performance. At the age of 24, Duplantis broke his own world pole vault record, clearing the bar at a height of 6.24m on his first attempt. This impressive feat surpassed the previous record he set in Eugene during the 2023 Wanda Diamond League final.
Expressing his excitement about competing in China for the first time, Duplantis also mentioned that he was eager to kickstart his season. Despite recently winning the world indoor title in Glasgow with a height of 6.10m, Duplantis is always looking to improve and further enhance his performance. With over three months remaining before he defends his Olympic title in Paris, Duplantis will be focused on achieving even greater heights.
This marks only the second time that Duplantis has begun his outdoor season with a clearance over six meters. His previous season opener was a successful 6.02m jump at the Doha Diamond League meeting in 2022. With this new world record, Duplantis has now set a total of eight world records in his career, with his first being a 6.17m jump in Torun in 2020. The record is subject to the usual ratification process.
