Armand Duplantis soared to a record-breaking 14th world record with his final attempt on Monday night, continuing his dominance in pole vaulting by claiming a third consecutive world title.
A captivated crowd in Tokyo stayed long after the evening’s other events had concluded to witness the Swedish superstar become the first human to clear 6.30 metres. The 25-year-old has now won the past eight global men’s pole vault gold medals across both indoor and outdoor competitions.
Returning to the stadium where he began his major title collection four years ago, Duplantis delivered yet another stunning performance. He secured gold with a first-time clearance at 6.15 metres, ending the challenge of Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis, before raising the bar one centimetre above his previous best.
Such is the respect he commands, Karalis, who has climbed to fourth on the all-time list in his pursuit of Duplantis, held a fan for his opponent between his first and second attempts.
As Duplantis prepared for his final jump, a hush fell across Japan’s National Stadium. At his signal, the silence turned to rhythmic applause before erupting into celebration as he leapt from the mat, victorious once more.
“It’s better than I could have imagined. To give you guys this world record is amazing. I’m just so happy,” Duplantis told the crowd, who had stayed beyond 11pm local time to witness the historic feat.
This fourth world record of 2025 marks the most times he has raised the mark in a single year. His season continues with seemingly no limits in sight.
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall, who claimed bronze, praised the Swede: “It was an amazing night, the fans were fantastic. Mondo is from another planet, he is doing incredible things, things many people thought were impossible. I can’t wait to see what he’s got in the future.”
Duplantis, known widely by his nickname Mondo, had made clear he was targeting the world record in the final. While securing gold remained the first objective, there was little doubt among spectators that the record was also in his sights.
Since surpassing Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie with a jump of 6.17 metres in February 2020, the focus has shifted from who might win gold to how high Duplantis can go. With World Athletics offering a $100,000 bonus for a world record, in addition to the $70,000 gold medal prize, the incentive was clear.
He has already claimed every major title available and, last year, became the first man in 68 years to retain the Olympic pole vault title, winning in Paris 2024.
Now the only question is how many more he will win, and just how high he can go.
“No one knows Duplantis’ limits. He is hitting big heights in training but who knows how high he will go? There are a few years of world records in him, for sure,” said Jessica Ennis-Hill on BBC TV.
“Moments like this take your breath away. When you think about how much pressure he was under… He is phenomenal and is setting the future of this sport.”
Earlier this year, Duplantis surpassed 100 career clearances over six metres when he won his third world indoor title in March. For perspective, only 28 other athletes in history have ever cleared that height.
His closest rival this season, Karalis, improved his personal best to 6.08 metres but still trails by 22 centimetres.
Victory in Tokyo extends Duplantis’ unbeaten streak to 37 competitions, dating back to July 2023. Born in the United States, he chose to represent his mother’s homeland of Sweden and has not lost a major final since Doha 2019, where he finished second to American Sam Kendricks on countback.
His success is a product of extraordinary runway speed, precise technique, explosive strength and exceptional bravery. Rivals highlight his sprinting ability as a key factor, allowing him to generate the kinetic energy needed for greater heights. He even uses specially developed sprinting spikes to enhance his approach.
Duplantis also had the advantage of a pole vault pit in his childhood garden in Louisiana. Coached by his parents, his father Greg was a former elite vaulter, while his younger sister Johanna turned professional this year, continuing the family legacy.
Now the sport’s biggest star, Duplantis has amassed more than two million social media followers and is leading the promotion of World Athletics’ new global event, the Ultimate Championship, set to debut in Budapest next year.
“We used to say that we needed Usain Bolt here to bring some interest to athletics. Duplantis is a superstar and is transcending the sport,” said former world 1500m champion Steve Cram.
“Pole vault draws you in, and that is why Armand is a showman. He orchestrates it. It is great for the sport and long may he go higher.”
