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Eugene (US), September 18 (IANS): Back in the stadium where he broke the world record to win his first senior world title last year, Mondo Duplantis added another centimetre to his global mark, clearing 6.23m at the Diamond League Final to set a new record.
Duplantis cleared 6.23m on his first attempt for the seventh world record of his career. With his winning performance, the Swede claimed his third Diamond trophy.
Ernest Obiena finished second with 5.82m and Sam Kendricks was third on countback with 5.72m.
The 23-year-old opened his campaign at Hayward Field on Sunday with a first-time clearance at 5.62m, then he passed at 5.72m and also managed 5.82m on his first go. He chose to skip 5.92m and returned to go clear at 6.02m on his first try to win the competition and achieve the 73rd six metre-plus clearance of his career.
But he wasn’t done. It was no surprise to see the bar raised to 6.23m – one centimetre higher than the world record height he achieved indoors in Clermont-Ferrand in February. With support from the crowd, he took his run up, planted the pole, and then soared clear the bar, remaining stationary an incredible 6.23m above him, World Athletics reports.
Earlier in the day, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay set the second senior world record of her career and her first outdoors, smashing the world 5000m record with a remarkable 14:00.21 timing.
Tsegay, the world 10,000m champion took almost five seconds off the world record of 14:05.20 that Faith Kipyegon set in Paris in June as part of a record spree that also saw the Kenyan set global marks for the 1500m and mile.