Competing in Gothenburg for the first time in almost 11 months, Duplantis remains unbeaten this year; Meijer, Montler and Sagnia also achieve victories in home country

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, competing in Sweden for the first time in nearly 11 months, achieved a third-attempt clearance Saturday at 19 feet, 5.75 inches (5.94m) to produce a world outdoor leader and remain unbeaten this year in the men’s pole vault at the Bauhaus Jump Challenge at FK Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg.

Duplantis, the reigning world indoor record holder and silver medalist at last year’s World Outdoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, won the competition with second-attempt clearance at 18-8.25 (5.70m), then made 19-2.25 (5.85m) on his first try. He also took three attempts at 19-8.25 (6.00m), but commented in a post-event interview with local media that his energy and adrenaline weren’t as strong in the absence of fans.

RESULTS

Norway’s Pal Haugen Lillefosse, the reigning European U-20 gold medalist, cleared 18-4.50 (5.60m) on his third attempt to place second.

It marked the first outdoor competition for Duplantis since June 11, when he cleared 19-2.75 (5.86m) at the Impossible Games in Norway. It was also his first time competing in Sweden since victories in both Gothenburg and Stockholm in August during his preparation for the World Championships.

Mondo, 20, lives with his family in Louisiana, but represents the country of his mother in international competition. Helena Duplantis was a heptathlete and also played volleyball from 1985-89 at LSU, where Mondo set the collegiate outdoor record last year by clearing 19-8.25.

Sweden’s Thobias Montler, second at last year’s European Indoor Championships and ninth at the World Outdoor Championships in Doha, won the men’s long jump with a wind-aided 26-8.25 (8.13m) effort in the fourth round. Montler also added a wind-legal 26-5.75 (8.07m) in the sixth round.

Another Swedish jumper, Andreas Carlsson, was second with a wind-aided 25-7.50 (7.81m) performance in the sixth round.

Khaddi Sagnia of Sweden, the world outdoor leader at 22-4.25 (6.81m), won the women’s long jump with a fifth-round mark of 21-9.50 (6.64m) and Swedish vaulter Michaela Meijer cleared 15-1 (4.60m) on her first attempt to win the women’s competition.

Angelica Bengtsson, who is scheduled to compete July 9 as part of the Inspiration Games against American Sandi Morris and Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi, entered the competition at 14-7.25 (4.45m) and missed all three tries. Lisa Gunnarsson, a junior at LSU, opened at 14-1.25 (4.30m) and was unsuccessful at all three attempts.