By Helen Reid
PARIS (Reuters) – Pole vault king Armand Duplantis comfortably sailed through the qualifiers on Saturday at the Stade de France, cementing his status as clear favourite to win his second Olympic gold at the Paris Games.
The 24-year-old defending champion, who goes by “Mondo” Duplantis, has set the world record eight times, most recently breaking his own record in April in Xiamen with a 6.24-metre jump.
Wearing a tracksuit in the Swedish team colours of yellow and blue, Duplantis sat out the first attempt, instead stretching, using a foam roller and chatting with his United States rival Sam Kendricks.
He vaulted only twice, conserving his energy and sailing well above the bar both times to loud cheers.
“It’s no coincidence that I’m a favourite,” he said ahead of Monday’s final, hinting at a record attempt. “It’s the best feeling when you’re trying something new and you need to do something better than you’ve ever done before.”
The loud crowd was one of the things Duplantis was looking forward to in Paris after what he described as a stressful Tokyo Olympics with no spectators allowed due to the pandemic.
The second spot on Monday’s podium seemed up for grabs after Tokyo silver medallist Christopher Nilsen surprisingly failed to qualify, disappointment etched on the U.S. athlete’s face as he fell back to the mat after a third failed attempt at 5.60m — well below his personal best of 6.05.
Kendricks, however, sailed over 5.75 to move on to the final. Getting a medal in Paris would be a redemption for the athlete who was pulled from competition in Tokyo after testing positive for COVID upon arrival.
The Philippines’ Ernest John Obiema missed his first two attempts at 5.60 but ultimately made it over 5.75 to book his spot in the final.
Obiema finished 11th in Tokyo but has been working his way up the rankings since then, winning silver at last year’s world championships in Budapest after taking bronze at the 2022 championships.
Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who will be angling for a podium finish after being fourth in Tokyo, also qualified.
There was heartbreak for France’s Thibaut Collet who failed to qualify after three missed attempts at 5.75, despite the full-throated support of the stadium.
Athletes had to be among the 12 best performers or vault over a bar at least 5.8 metres high to go through to the final. Ultimately the highest jump was 5.75.
Brazil’s Thiago Braz, who won bronze in Tokyo and gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, was not in competition, having been banned in May by the Athletics Integrity Unit for testing positive for prohibited substance ostarine glucuronide, a muscle growth enhancer.
(Reporting by Helen Reid; editing by Clare Fallon)
