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Pole vaulter Duplantis breaks Bubka’s outdoor world record

Sep 17, 2020 | 1:08 PM

ROME — Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis broke Sergey Bubka’s 26-year-old outdoor world record on Thursday.

Duplantis cleared 6 metres, 15 centimetres at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea meet in Rome with his second attempt, besting Bubka’s mark of 6.14 metres set in Sestriere in July 1994.

The 20-year-old Duplantis, who was born and raised in the United States, had come close on his first attempt.

Nicknamed “Mondo,” Duplantis also broke the indoor world record twice this season, clearing 6.18 metres in Glasgow in February.

Duplantis was a child prodigy who broke age-group records on his way to joining the pole vaulting elite. He chose to compete internationally for Sweden, his mother’s home country. He won the silver medal at last year’s world championships.

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The Associated Press