Olympic and world champion pole vault star Mondo Duplantis clinched victory at the Berlin indoor meet on Friday with a height of 6.06m but failed at three attempts to set a new world record of 6.22m.
It was a 42nd career clearance over six metres for the Swede and second of the winter season after his 6.10m in Uppsala last week.
On Friday, Duplantis easily succeeded at 5.60m, 5.82m, 5.91m and 6.06m before being foiled in his attempt to improve on his own world record of 6.21m set in Eugene in July last year.
“My attempts at 6.22m were good, I was closer than last week which is good,” he said.
“To get 6.22m everything has to be perfect, I wasn’t quite perfect enough to make it here.”
His closest rivals on Friday, Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall managed 5.82m.
Duplantis still has two other competitions this winter to try to improve on his world record at Lievin on February 15 and at Clermont 10 days later.
He will then decide on whether or not to take part in the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul from March 2-5.
AFP
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