Duplantis begins rehearsals for the Worlds in Doha

Published on : 13/05/2022 – 07:02Modified : 13/05/2022 – 07:00

–

Doha (AFP) – In search of the last title missing, that of outdoor world champion, pole vault record holder Armand Duplantis begins his outdoor season on Friday in Doha (Qatar), the first meeting of the Diamond League.

Olympic champion in 2021, outdoor Europe in 2018 as well as indoors in 2021, the Swede had never been crowned at a world meeting before the Indoor Worlds in Belgrade (Serbia) in March.

He rectified the situation by improving, as a bonus, his world record for the third time since he stole it from Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie in February 2020.

Now perched at 6.20 m, “Mondo” will try in Eugene (United States) from July 15 to 24 to conquer his last Grail: the gold medal at the Outdoor Worlds.

“As for honours, you know I want the full panoply, that’s my main goal,” Duplantis confirmed at a press conference on Thursday.

By July, his program is “quite busy with about five meetings”.

“The pole vault is a very technical event and it is very important to compete to take your rhythm and synchronize your jumps”, explains the native of Lafayette, in Louisiana (United States).

“It’s all played out on tiny margins, so I’m trying to put everything in place for the World Championships, to make sure that when the bar gets up to the gold medal, I have the right pole, the right grip, the right run”, continues the 22-year-old athlete.

6 meters in Qatar

“I feel like I’m in good enough shape to do good things” as of Friday, he announces. “I don’t know if anyone has already jumped 6m in Qatar. We need to check… Nobody? So someone has to do it. Quick!”

Preferably himself rather than the American Olympic vice-champion Chris Nilsen, who passed 6m a few days ago after clearing 6.05m in early March in Rouen (France), becoming the fifth best performer in the room story.

For the Swedish star of the discipline, it is also necessary to manage the expectation of the public to see him constantly improving his world record. “It can be complicated,” admits Duplantis. “But I try not to think about it too much because I know my sport and I know that (it) is not possible every day, even if people sometimes expect that from me.”

“You get used to it, it’s part of the game,” says “Mondo”. “Every time I’m on the track, I give 110% and that’s all I can do.”

At the Qatar Sports Club in Doha, in addition to the pole vault, the high jump, the 400m hurdles and the 200m will be the main events for the men, as well as the 200m for the women.

Several reigning Olympic champions are registered: Duplantis, of course, but also the Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim and the Italian Gianmarco Tamberi (high jump), the Canadian Andre De Grasse (200 m) or the Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo ( 400m).

The Diamond League will then continue with eleven meetings, including Paris on June 18, before the finals in Zurich (Switzerland) on September 7 and 8.

Chorzow, Poland, will enter the calendar on August 6 and will host the reassigned events after the Chinese meetings in Shanghai and Shenzhen were canceled due to restrictions linked to the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

© 2022 AFP

–