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Duplantis was bursting with excitement tonight as he became the second best in outdoor wicket history after the legendary Sergej Bubka.
– It was great and couldn’t have done better. It was thanks to Sam, it wouldn’t have happened without him. It’s an outdoor personal record and a personal record is always a personal record, says Duplantis.
Duplantis was not significantly upset that darkness stopped the record attempt at 6.15. The large starting field of nine jumpers meant that the competition did not end until 8:30 pm – against the time schedule that indicated no later than 8:00 pm.
It could have been fateful that pleasant September night in Lausanne.
– It is as it is. I’m happy with what we did before dark. Anyway I started to get a little tired. I can’t complain too much about that, says Duplantis.
Could you have done 6.15 if darkness hadn’t come?
– Maybe, I didn’t think much about it, but I did focus on hanging out with Sam during the competition. The world record was not on my mind and I was really tired and I did a lot of good jumps today. There are great things in store for the future, explains Duplantis.
“It was the level of Berlin 2018”
– Sam and I have had duels but not at this level and he jumped so well that I wanted to be at his level. I love competing and couldn’t have had a better match. It was the level of Berlin 2018, I haven’t had that feeling since, says Duplantis and thinks back to the gold at the European Championship in Berlin where he jumped above 6.05, which was his previous outdoor record.
Before 6.15, Renaud Lavillenie flashed Duplantis with his mobile phone in an attempt to cheer up the Swede. It was too dark and Duplantis didn’t even make it to the bar in the dark in his only attempt.
At 5.87, Kendricks commented:
– It will be dark soon. And Duplantis replied:
– I know that.
“However, this was probably the first time the world record opportunity was missed because it got too dark to jump,” writes Stefan Holm on Twitter.
He entered 5.62 and was ridiculously high on his first jump.
5.82 was just as easily. Like 5.87. And 5.92. After 5.97, Duplantis pounded his chest in delight. The same gestures were also applied in 6.02.
Just Bubka before outdoors
At 6.07 he was closer to the crossbar than he touched.
Sam Kendricks gave Duplantis a match and he stayed at 6.02 before breaking at 6.07 in the gloom.
A new Diamond League competition awaits on Friday, then in Brussels.
– I can try to recover until then. I think something can happen there too, even if you can never really know. I can do what I have to do, says Duplantis before the prestigious Gala in Brussels.
Several hundred spectators followed the competition, many with mouth guards, without social distancing. According to the regulations, a total of 1,000 spectators were allowed, divided into sectors of between 100 and 300.
