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Duplantis edges Karalis to win Lausanne Diamond League pole vault / Photo: © AFP
Duplantis edges Karalis to win Lausanne Diamond League pole vault
Pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis edged a gripping battle with his Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis to win the Diamond League competition in Lausanne on Thursday with a jump of 6.21 metres.
Urged on by more than 5,000 delighted spectators, the double Olympic champion cleared his best mark of the season on his first attempt, just as he had with his previous five bars, while Karalis had to settle for 6.16m on his second try.
Never before had a second-place finisher jumped so high as both men broke the previous meet record of 6.15m.
After a final failed attempt by Karalis at 6.26m, Duplantis initially seemed to turn down the chance of improving his own world record for the 16th time before changing his mind.
It currently stands at 6.31m but his two attempts at 6.32m both ended in failure.
Australian Kurtis Marschall completed the podium. His jump of 5.91m put him alongside Norway's Sondre Guttormsen and towering American Christopher Nilsen but with fewer fails in the competition, he took third spot.
L.M. Cardoso--JDB
