by Stuart Weir
Mondo Duplantis, photo by Getty Images for World Athletics
Mondo Duplantis, photo by Getty Images for World Athletics
In this column by Stuart Weir, he discusses the three world records (actually two, he already did a piece on the Triple Jump).
Three world records
The quality of the World Indoor Athletics Championship in Belgrade just got better and better on the final day! There were real “I was there” moments to treasure as Yulimar Rojas, Mondo Duplantis, and Grant Holloway equaled or bettered world records. And, unusually I was there! I saw all three. So often one is at an event but is caught up speaking to an athlete from the previous race and missing the world record.
It was a high-quality men’s pole-vault competition with nine athletes clearing 5.75. Chris Nilsen took third with 5.90. Thiago Braz set an area record of 5.95. Mondo Duplantis won the competition with his fourth vault – 6.05. With the gold medal secured he asked for the bar to be raised to 6.20. In clearing it, he beat his own world mark, set in the same Stark Arena 13 days ago. This time he needed three attempts to succeed.
Duplantis commented afterward: “To break the world record two times in two weeks, I can’t complain. Sometimes there are just things that you can’t explain, they’re just feelings and it seems like when I’m in Belgrade I have this feeling that I’m going to go high and do something really special. Today, here in Serbia, I was able to break the world record for a second time. I feel like Belgrade is going to be a special place in my heart now forever. I’m a pretty happy man. I have something really special going on here – two world records and a world championship title, that’s more than I can even dream of. There are no limits. The sky’s the limit. Another title, another world record – it’s been a pretty good day. Going over 6.20m for the first time, it’s hard to explain. It’s something that you can only dream of”.
Grant Holloway, from 2022 USA Indoor Champs, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Grant Holloway won his semi-final of the 60m hurdles in 7.29, equalling his own world record. In the final, his winning time was 7.39 – no world record time needed. He summed up his day’s work: “To come and run a world record, a world leader, to win a title and name me world champion again, it’s a great feeling. It’s a lot of work and dedication. As long as I’ve got my team behind me I feel like we’ll be able to conquer anything. The field was packed but all I’d got to worry about is my lane and my space. I just made sure I stayed focused on myself and ran through with whatever I had to do. I know what I’m capable of so running that time in the semi wasn’t a shock to me. I work hard for it. I love to come to these big meets and have great success. All in all it’s exciting to be a world champion again and to come back. I’m just soaking it all in. World outdoor and world indoor champion – that sounds great”.
The third world record, by Yulimar Rojas, is covered in a separate article.
