OSTRAVA, Czech Republic—Armand Duplantis improved his own best pole vault attempt of 2023 by a centimeter to 6.12 meters at the Golden Spike athletics meet in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, with Filipino Ernest John Obiena settling for third place.
The US-born Swedish athlete, the reigning Olympic and world champion, previously cleared 6.11 meters in Hengelo, Netherlands, on June 4.
In February, Duplantis set a world record of 6.22 meters at an indoor meet in France.
In the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on Tuesday, Duplantis only managed 5.90m at the second attempt on the rather chilly summer day.
But he got over 6.00m with ease as the only pole vaulter left in competition and then had the bar raised straight to 6.12m which he also cleared at the first attempt.
He then tried 6.17m but failed as the 23-year-old hones his form ahead of this year’s world championships in Budapest starting on August 19.
“I think 6.12 was pretty much about the highest I was going to make today,” Duplantis said.
“I’m pretty satisfied. I liked the way I was jumping.
“The jump at 6.12 was good, it was good for the day. It was a little bit colder than I would have liked today,” he added.
Filipino pole vault star Obiena cleared 5.90 meters to grab the bronze at the Golden Spike Ostrava meet in the Czech Republic.
Obiena, who is preparing to join Olympic qualifiers, finished behind Australian Kurtis Marschall, who leapt to the same height in just one try
Also at Ostrava, South Africa’s Akani Simbine won the men’s 100 metres in 9.98 seconds ahead of Italy’s European 60m indoor champion Samuele Ceccarelli, in 10.15sec.
Canada’s Olympic 200m champion Andre De Grasse rounded out the podium in third in a season’s best of 10.21.
Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, the world record holder in the 3,000m steeplechase, won the 1500m in a personal best of 3min 33.15sec.
Girma’s teammate Diribe Welteji clocked 3:57.38 to win the women’s 1500m as three Ethiopians took the podium with times under four minutes.
Reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico claimed victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.42sec.
She beat Nia Ali of the United States and Nigerian world record holder and reigning world champion Tobi Amusan, with all three sandwiched within 0.05 seconds.
