Duplantis Suffers First Pole Vault Defeat in Three Years in Stockholm

For the first time in nearly three years, pole vault sensation Armand Duplantis has been defeated. The Swedish world record holder, world champion, and Olympic gold medalist surprisingly finished second at the Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, failing to clear more than 5.80 meters. This allowed Australia's Kurtis Marschall, the World Championships bronze medalist, to claim an unexpected victory with a jump of 5.90 meters.

"I just jumped poorly, I really don't know what to say," Duplantis told German broadcaster ARD. In stark contrast to the previous year, when he set a world record of 6.28 meters in Stockholm (a record he has since extended to 6.31 meters), Duplantis appeared uncharacteristically off form. He began his competition with a failed attempt at 5.60 meters and struggled throughout, ultimately failing twice at 6.00 meters and missing his final attempt at 6.05 meters.

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I just jumped poorly, I really don't know what to say.

Duplantis, who has dominated the sport for years, acknowledged his subpar performance. "At this level, you can't win a competition like that. Honestly, I might as well stay home for the next competitions," he stated, displaying uncharacteristic self-criticism for someone who consistently outperforms his rivals. His last defeat prior to this occurred in Brussels in July 2023, where he placed fourth.

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At this level, you can't win a competition like that. Honestly, I might as well stay home for the next competitions.