MONDO DUPLANTIS TO BREAK OWN POLE VAULT WORLD RECORD IN BERLIN

Friday’s indoor athletics competition in Berlin will include Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, 23, who is aiming to beat his own world record.

Duplantis prepared for this most recent attempt to surpass the 6.21-meter record he set in 2022 in Sweden last week.

He attempted to jump for 6.22 meters three times, but failed each time despite the encouragement of 2,000 home fans.

He claims that now that the season’s opening contest is behind him, the record is the only thing on his mind as he gets ready for Berlin, which will be followed by two meets in France.

The Olympic champion is still unsure about whether she will compete in Istanbul, Turkey, next month’s European Indoor Athletics Championships.

On Thursday, he stated of his appearance in Istanbul, “We’ll see.

“Breaking the world record is what I’m truly aiming for during the indoor season.

“That is the major emphasis and the single objective in mind. It would be good if I could accomplish it in the upcoming three meetings so that I could prepare for outside.

“I know it’s a world-class setup here in Berlin,” he continued. I’m here in an effort to offer myself another opportunity to smash my own world record.

The world-class pole vaulter will forfeit the opportunity to defend the European indoor championship he won in Poland in 2021 if he decides to skip Istanbul.

After winning the global indoor title in Belgrade the year before with a mark of 6.20m, Louisiana-born Duplantis set the world record at the Covid-delayed world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July of last year.

This year, the world championships in Budapest in August are his main goal.