Pole Vault, Men

There was no heavier favorite in any individual event at Paris 2024 than Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. Duplantis was the defending gold medalist, had won the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, and had set the last eight world records, including his 6.24 meters in April 2024 at a Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China.

Ten vaulters remained after 5.85 metres but only three cleared 5.90 – Sam Kendricks (USA), Emmanouil Karalis (GRE), and Filipino Ernest John Obiena –, although Duplantis passed at the height. Kendricks and Duplantis were the only ones to clear 5.95, although Karalis made one failed attempt and then passed to 6.00 metres. Kendricks could go no higher, and Karalis missed two attempts at six metres, giving Kendricks the silver medal and Karalis the bronze. Duplantis easily cleared the height and then had the bar moved to 6.10, an Olympic record, which he cleared comfortably in his first attempt.

In front of a full stadium of 75,000 fans, Duplantis then asked for 6.25 metres, one centimetre above his world record. He needed three attempts but he got over it on his final effort for another world record. It was only the second world record in the pole vault at the Olympics, after Władysław Kozakiewicz jumped 5.78 m to win the Moskva 1980 gold medal. Duplantis became the second athlete to win two Olympic pole vault gold medals, after Bob Richards (USA) in 1952-56.