Armand Duplantis shines in Diamond League event ahead of Olympics

Armand Duplantis, the reigning Olympic champion in pole vault, may have missed out on breaking his own world record at the second Diamond League event of the season, but he still managed to make a strong statement ahead of this year’s Olympic Games. The 24-year-old Swedish athlete eased to victory in China with a jump of 6.00 meters, showcasing his dominance in the event.

After setting a new world record of 6.24 meters at the Xiamen season opener, Duplantis was aiming to break the mark for a ninth time by clearing 6.25 meters. However, despite coming close in his final attempt, he was unable to achieve the feat. Despite this, Duplantis expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I felt great today, really good. To jump 6.00m today and complete a successful tour, I have a lot of good takeaways.”

In other events at the Diamond League meet, South Africa’s Akani Simbine claimed victory in the men’s 100m race, clocking in at 10.01 seconds to deny Christian Coleman of the United States back-to-back victories. Briton Daryll Neita surprised many by winning the women’s 200m with a time of 22.62 seconds, while world champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic cruised to victory in the women’s 400m.

The Diamond League season continues in Doha on May 10, with a total of 15 meetings scheduled this year leading up to the season finale in Brussels in mid-September. As athletes gear up for the Olympics in July, performances at these events will be crucial in determining their form and readiness for the prestigious competition.