Pole vault king Mondo Duplantis suffers his first loss in nearly three years
Olympic champion Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis suffered his first defeat in 35 months after Australia's Kurtis Marschall stunned the home crowd to win the pole vault competition at the Stockholm Diamond League.
Swedish athletics superstar Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis suffered his first defeat in nearly three years on Sunday as Australian Kurtis Marschall ended the Olympic champion's remarkable winning streak at the Stockholm Diamond League.
It was at Stockholm Olympic Stadium that Duplantis delighted home fans by breaking the pole vault world record for the 12th time last year. On Sunday, however, the same venue witnessed the end of one of the most dominant runs in modern athletics.
The Olympic and world champion managed the best clearance of 5.80m, finishing second behind Marschall, who won the competition with a jump of 5.90m. France's Baptiste Thiery took third place after also clearing 5.80m.
The result snapped Duplantis' streak of winning 40 consecutive competitions, a run that stretched back nearly three years. The last time the Swede failed to win a competition was at the Monaco Diamond League in July 2023, where he finished fourth with a vault of 5.72m. Coincidentally, Marschall had also finished ahead of him on that occasion, taking third place in Monaco.
Between those two defeats, Duplantis turned pole vaulting into his personal domain. The 26-year-old claimed two outdoor world titles, two world indoor championships, multiple Diamond League crowns and Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024. During the same period, he repeatedly raised his own world record, improving the mark from 6.23m to 6.31m through 10 world-record performances.
Sunday's competition never quite fell into place for the Swedish star. Duplantis surprisingly missed his opening attempt at 5.60m and looked out of rhythm throughout the evening. He eventually cleared 5.80m but failed twice at 6.00m and once at 6.05m, bringing his campaign to an early end.
The crowd had arrived hoping to witness another historic performance after Duplantis set a world record at the Bauhaus-Galan meeting last year. Instead, they saw Marschall seize a rare opportunity and become the first athlete to beat the Swede since Monaco 2023.
Despite the disappointment, Duplantis refused to make excuses and was quick to credit his Australian rival.
"I felt a bit unfocused today and I really did not want to lose here in front of my family and fans. I have not lost in what, three years? But hats off to Kurtis today who beat me fair and square and I have no excuses," Duplantis said after the competition.
"I am not angry and I will continue enjoying my time here in Stockholm with my family. I am also getting married soon, so unlucky in sports – lucky in love if that's a saying?" he added with a smile.
For Marschall, the victory was one of the biggest moments of his career. The Australian had long established himself among the world's leading pole vaulters, but overcoming Duplantis at a Diamond League meeting, especially in front of the Swede's home crowd, represented a breakthrough achievement.
Swedish athletics superstar Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis suffered his first defeat in nearly three years on Sunday as Australian Kurtis Marschall ended the Olympic champion's remarkable winning streak at the Stockholm Diamond League.
It was at Stockholm Olympic Stadium that Duplantis delighted home fans by breaking the pole vault world record for the 12th time last year. On Sunday, however, the same venue witnessed the end of one of the most dominant runs in modern athletics.
The Olympic and world champion managed the best clearance of 5.80m, finishing second behind Marschall, who won the competition with a jump of 5.90m. France's Baptiste Thiery took third place after also clearing 5.80m.
The result snapped Duplantis' streak of winning 40 consecutive competitions, a run that stretched back nearly three years. The last time the Swede failed to win a competition was at the Monaco Diamond League in July 2023, where he finished fourth with a vault of 5.72m. Coincidentally, Marschall had also finished ahead of him on that occasion, taking third place in Monaco.
Between those two defeats, Duplantis turned pole vaulting into his personal domain. The 26-year-old claimed two outdoor world titles, two world indoor championships, multiple Diamond League crowns and Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024. During the same period, he repeatedly raised his own world record, improving the mark from 6.23m to 6.31m through 10 world-record performances.
Sunday's competition never quite fell into place for the Swedish star. Duplantis surprisingly missed his opening attempt at 5.60m and looked out of rhythm throughout the evening. He eventually cleared 5.80m but failed twice at 6.00m and once at 6.05m, bringing his campaign to an early end.
The crowd had arrived hoping to witness another historic performance after Duplantis set a world record at the Bauhaus-Galan meeting last year. Instead, they saw Marschall seize a rare opportunity and become the first athlete to beat the Swede since Monaco 2023.
Despite the disappointment, Duplantis refused to make excuses and was quick to credit his Australian rival.
"I felt a bit unfocused today and I really did not want to lose here in front of my family and fans. I have not lost in what, three years? But hats off to Kurtis today who beat me fair and square and I have no excuses," Duplantis said after the competition.
"I am not angry and I will continue enjoying my time here in Stockholm with my family. I am also getting married soon, so unlucky in sports – lucky in love if that's a saying?" he added with a smile.
For Marschall, the victory was one of the biggest moments of his career. The Australian had long established himself among the world's leading pole vaulters, but overcoming Duplantis at a Diamond League meeting, especially in front of the Swede's home crowd, represented a breakthrough achievement.
