Swedes Mondo Duplantis, Andreas Almgren Enjoy Spectacular Day In Stockholm; Josh Hoey Moves To No. 3 On All-Time U.S. 800 List

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photo courtesy Diamond League AG

INTERVIEWS

So what’s new with Mondo?

Well, another world record, of course. Doing it in a home stadium? That’s new.

He keeps approaching a world record for pole vault world records. This was his 12th, compared with Sergei Bubka’s 17. He is well past the 10 by Thomas Ray, who set 10 between 1879 and 1888. Yeah, that was 137 years ago.

And did we mention he is about to release a new song?

“It has nothing to do with setting the world record right now,” he said. “It just happens to be that way.”

Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis so happened to vault 20 feet, 7.25 inches (6.28m) Sunday in the Diamond League meet before a home crowd at Stockholm. That broke his record of 20-7 (6.27m) set indoors Feb. 28 at Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Afterward, Duplantis bounded out of the pit and tore off his singlet Karsten Warholm style. He slapped hands of fans along the rail with his shirt as he bounced down the track.

The Louisiana-born 25-year-old said he was “full to the brim.” Oddly, Duplantis had perhaps the lowest grip he has ever used in a world record.

“The first time I jumped in this stadium when I was 11 years old, it was rainy, cold and I jumped right under 4m,” he said. “It was quite high for how young I was. I've jumped a lot here, and they etch the names of world record holders here. The last one was a long time ago.

“My mom was in the stands when Patrik Sjöberg broke the world record in 1986. I think there's a common denominator here. She's a lucky charm.

"It's going to be really special to have my name etched in the stadium. It's the most beautiful stadium, in my biased opinion. It'll be one of the greatest memories for me, I think, in my career.”

Duplantis is so absurdly better than the rest that second place was 15 inches lower at 19-4.25 (5.90m), by Kurtis Marschall of Australia.

France’s Renaud Lavillenie, 39, the last vaulter not named Duplantis to hold the world record, was third at 19-0.25 (5.80m). Olympic silver medalist Sam Kendricks tied for eighth at 18-4.50 (5.60m).

Mondo wasn’t the only Swedish highlight in a meet featuring five world leads.

Another world lead was by Andreas Almgren, who lowered the European record in the 5,000 meters to 12:44.27. Previous record was 12:45.01 by Spain’s Mohamed Katir in 2023.

Ethiopia’s Kurma Girma was well back in 12:57.46. Former NCAA champion Ky Robinson of Australia was third in 12:58.38.

Cole Hocker was seventh in 13:09.36, calling into question whether he can make the 5K team for September’s World Championships. There are three Americans – Grant Fisher, Nico Young, Graham Blanks – who have run in the 12:40s this year. Hocker is 0-10 in outdoor races since winning 1,500 gold at the Paris Olympics.

Benjamin wins podium rematch in 400 hurdles

In other men’s highlights:

>> In a Paris podium rematch, gold medalist Rai Benjamin ran to a meet record of 46.54 in the 400-meter hurdles, posting the fastest time in the world this year and 10th-fastest ever. (He has five of the 10.) Brazil’s Alison dos Santos was second in 46.68. Warholm, coming off a world record in the 300 hurdles Thursday at Oslo, faded to third in 47.41.

>> Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya ran 800 meters in 1:41.95, best in the world this year, to beat a deep field. Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati was second in 1:42.27. World indoor champion Josh Hoey was third in 1:42.43, climbing to No. 3 on the all-time U.S. list. Bryce Hoppel faded to ninth in 1:47.59.

>> In a non-Diamond League 1,500, another Swede, Samuel Pihlstrom, finished first in 3:31.53. Americans Abraham Alvarado and Luke Houser were eighth and ninth in PBs of 3:33.21 and 3:33.99, respectively.

Alfred stays unbeaten for the year

In women’s highlights:

>> Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia remained unbeaten this year, running 100 meters in 10.75, a meet record. She was .02 off Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s world lead. Alfred’s training partner, Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, was a distant second in 10.93.

>> Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall long jumped 23-1.75 (7.05m), one centimeter off the world lead. World leader Larissa Iapichino of Italy was second at 22-7.75 (6.90m). Bronze medalist Jasmine Moore was third at 22-2.25 (6.76m) and world indoor champion Claire Bryant fifth at 22-1.5 ( 6.74m).

>> The Netherlands’ Femke Bol won her 26th Diamond League race, lowering her meet record to 52.11. Dalilah Muhammad, in her final season at age 35, was second in 52.91 – her fastest time since 2021.

“This is one of my favorite stadiums, so to take the stadium record makes me very happy,” Bol said. “I am not in my best shape yet, so to take the victory is especially good.”

>> Grace Stark won her second DL 100 hurdles of the season, clocking 12.33. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent was second in 12.37, the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser third in 12.49 and two-time world indoor champion Devynne Charlton of The Bahamas fourth in 12.59.

>> Isabella Whittaker won a second straight DL 400, again over Norway’s Henriette Jaeger, 49.78 to 50.07.

>> Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell won the 800 in 1:57.66 over Kenya’s Mary Moraa, 1:57.83. Addy Wiley, who was at the front with 200 meters left, finished seventh in 1:58.86.

>> Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers cleared 6-7 (2.01m) in the high jump to beat Paris champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine. Mahuchikh was second at 6-6.25 (1.99m), compared to her world-leading jump of 6-7.5 (2.02m). Vashti Cunningham tied for fourth at 6-3.25 (1.91m).

>> Sandi Morris scored another DL victory, raising her pole vault world lead to 15-9.75 (4.82m) Saturday. She vaulted 15-9 (4.80m) at Rome on June 6.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.