World Champs Menâ€s Pole Vault — Mondo Caps Epic Fight With WR

The denouement was like Eugene â€22 and the Paris Olympics, a Duplantis WR to finish off, but this time a determined competitor pushed him far longer into the comp. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

THE GREATEST VAULT in history was born out of great competition, with Mondo Duplantis soaring over a new World Record on a night where Manolo Karalís pushed the Swede harder than ever.

The battle between the two was at once familiar — they had gone 1-2 in 12 competitions this season — and unprecedented. The two started their jousting at the opening height, where Duplantis rocketed far over the 18-2½ (5.55) bar, while Karalís passed to 18-10¼ (5.75), which he made easily. Also showing strong form were American Sam Kendricks (the lone Yank in the final) and Australian Kurt Marschall.

At 19-2¼ (5.85), Kendricks delivered a strong clearance on his first attempt, then Duplantis put together another giant leap. Marschall cleared as well, and the three shared the lead as Karalís passed again.

The bar went to 19-4¼ (5.90), and Karalís, on his second jump of the night, made it over with room to spare. Kendricks brushed the bar off with his legs. Marschall cleared and Duplantis passed. With nothing more to gain at that altitude, Kendricks opted to save his two remaining tries for the next height.

The first miss of the night for Karalís came on his initial try at 19-6¼ (5.95), when he brushed the bar off the standards with his chest. Kendricks also had trouble, kicking it off with his feet on the way up. For Mondo, the bar posed no problem; he not only cleared with plenty of space, but he extended all his limbs in an unusual flourish at the top. Marschall missed but came close.

Kendricks, looking at a 7th-place finish should he knock the crossbar down again on his final try, came up with a clutch clearance, coming into all kinds of contact with the bar but leaving it aloft and jiggling. Marschall made it over with a couple of inches of room. Karalís missed his second try. On his third with his back to the wall, the Greek delivered.

Three others with misses at 19-6¼ passed to the next height: Franceâ€s Thibaut Collet, Norwayâ€s Sondre Guttormsen and Netherlands†Menno Vloon. An unprecedented, in any meet, seven competitors would leap at 19-8¼ (6.00).

Karalís, up first, made it look easy to retake the lead. Kendricks again kicked it off with his feet. Duplantis flew over easily. Marschall had the height but came down on the bar. He missed his next two as well, but was ahead of Kendricks on misses and — after the others went out —secured the bronze to repeat his Budapest placing.

Then there were two. They both passed 19-10¼ (6.05). For Karalís, 20-0 (6.10) would have been a Greek record. He had plenty of height but nailed it with his chest on the way down. Mondo flew over without contact, and the Greek passed to 20-2 (6.15). He missed, and Mondo again went over perfectly. Karalís — far more interested in winning than in Greek records — passed to 20-4 (6.20), a height that only Duplantis has ever cleared. He produced a strong effort, but at 12cm higher than his lifetime best, the bar was too much.

Alone now, though sitting with his rival talking, Duplantis asked for the inevitable, a World Record height of 20-8 (6.30). With action on the track finished, he had the audience to himself and exhorted them to clap. Then he charged down the runway and leapt into the air — oh so close he was, but his right thigh brushed it off on the way down.

On the second try, with the stadium announcer exhorting the crowd to clap, “Hakushu! Hakushu!â€, Mondo came even closer, the bar wiggling and falling after being scraped lightly by his knee.

Duplantis, determined to give the audience a record, went into full battle mode, requesting that a pounding rock song be played at top volume. It did the trick. On his last effort, he ran faster, then shot into the air, the golden spike plates of his Puma “Claw†shoes shooting over the bar. He had plenty of contact with the crosspiece but it stayed up. The crowd roared for World Record No. 14.

Mondo leapt off the pit to embrace Karalís, then dodged the mass of photographers to make it to the stands to celebrate with his fiance. When officials asked him to pose with the signboard, he ran past them to bow to the audience in thanks.

“I was feeling really good the whole day. I knew I had the record in me. If I have the right runway I know that everything is possible. I am glad it all worked out. As soon as I take off, from transition from the ground through the air, I know if the jump is going to be valid. I know if Iâ€ve transferred enough energy or itâ€s not really going to work out. The run says it all, everything is about speed. As long as I have that right, I know it will work out for me.â€

He added, “Today was a pretty much a dream competition. I was not alone at a lot of heights. I have never jumped at 6.20 and had another guy with me. Thatâ€s quite special. I got juices from it. I am very proud of [Karalís] for performing, not only today but throughout the season. He is pushing me and making me a better jumper.â€

MENâ€S POLE VAULT RESULTS

FINAL (September 15)

1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 20-8 (6.30) WR;

2. Manolo Karalís (Gre) 19-8¼ (6.00);

3. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 19-6¼ (5.95) =PR;

4. Sam Kendricks (US) 19-6¼ (5.95);

5. Thibaut Collet (Fra) 19-4¼ (5.90);

6. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 19-4¼ (5.90) =PR;

7. Menno Vloon (Neth) 19-4¼ (5.90);

8. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 18-10¼ (5.75);

9. Abdesalam Seifeldin Heneida (Qat) 18-10¼ (5.75) =NR;

10. Bo Kanda Lita Baehre (Ger) 18-10¼ (5.75);

11. Ethan Cormont (Fra) 18-2½ (5.55);

… nh—Ersu Şaşma (Tur).

(best-ever mark-for-place: =4, 7)

18-2½
18-10¼
19-2¼
19-4¼
19-6¼
19-8¼
19-10¼
20-0
20-2
20-4
20-8

Karalís
p
o
p
o
xxo
o
p
xp
xp
x
—

Kendricks
o
o
o
xp
xo
xxx
—
—
—
—
—

Duplantis
o
p
o
p
o
o
p
o
o
p
xxo

Marschall
o
o
o
o
xo
xxx
—
—
—
—
—

Collet
xo
o
o
o
xxp
x
—
—
—
—
—

ÅžaÅŸma
xxx
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

Lavillenie
p
o
p
xp
xx
—
—
—
—
—
—

Vloon
o
xxo
xxo
o
xp
xx
—
—
—
—
—

Lita Baehre
o
xxo
xxx
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

Guttormsen
o
xxo
xo
o
xp
xx
—
—
—
—
—

Abdelsalam
o
xo
xxx
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

Cormont
xo
xxx
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

5.55
5.75
5.85
5.90
5.95
6.00
6.05
6.10
6.15
6.20
6.30

QUALIFYING (September 13; auto-qualifier 19-¼/5.80)

Qualifiers: all qualifiers cleared 18-10¼/5.75 (=highest Q ever);

Non-Qualifiers: [18-8¼/5.70; =highest non-Q ever]—David Holý (CzR), Piotr Lisek (Pol), Matt Ludwig (US), Ben Broeders (Bel), Hussain Asim Al-Hizam (Sau);

[18-2½/5.55]—Oleksandr Onufriyev (Ukr), EJ Obiena (Phi), MatÄ›j Å Äerba (CzR), Chenyang Li (Chn), Simone Bertelli (Ita), Oleg Zernikel (Ger), Austin Miller (US), Valters KreiÅ¡s (Lat);

[17-8½/5.40] – Artur Coll (Spa), Márton Böndör (Hun), Simen Guttormsen (Nor), Tao Zhong (Chn), Torben Blech (Ger), Ioánnis Rizos (Gre);

… nh—Matteo Oliveri (Ita), Ricardo Montes (Ven), Bokai Huang (Chn), Kyle Rademeyer (SA), Urho Kujanpää (Fin).

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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