Wedding break gives Duplantis rival new chance: 'Mondo was happy for me'

Australian pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall celebrated a career-first Diamond League victory in Stockholm, edging out Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis.

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Mondo has been so dominant for so long that I thought I would never win a Diamond League competition.

Marschall, 29, admitted he never expected to win a Diamond League event, having previously focused on competing for second and third places behind the dominant Duplantis. "The stars aligned – if you can say that – and I managed a miraculous victory," he said.

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I thought fighting for second and third places would be how my career looked.

Following his surprise win, Marschall shared a moment with Duplantis, who is preparing for his wedding to Desiré Inglander. "Mondo was very happy for my sake," Marschall recounted. He also joked about the winner having to pay the bar tab, implying he needs more wins to cover the cost.

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But in my 31st Diamond League competition, the stars aligned – if you can say that – and I managed a miraculous victory.

While Duplantis is skipping the Bislett Games in Oslo to focus on his wedding, other top pole vaulters like Greece's Emmanouil Karalis and USA's Sam Kendricks are competing. Karalis expressed happiness for Marschall's win but is determined to challenge for the top spot himself in Oslo. The competition remains high-level despite Duplantis's absence.

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It was really 'wow, is this real?' Right after, I went up to Mondo and he told me to enjoy everything and that he was very happy for my sake.