Even Duplantis is Human: Pole Vault King's 40-Win Streak Snapped

Swedish pole vault superstar Armand Duplantis suffered a rare defeat at the Stockholm Diamond League meet, ending an astonishing streak of 40 consecutive victories. The athlete hadn't lost a competition since July 21, 2023, in Monaco.

Competing on home soil at the historic Stockholms Olympiastadion, Duplantis failed to clear 6.05 meters, allowing Australia's Kurtis Marschall to claim victory with a jump of 5.90 meters. The absence of Greece's Karalis, one of his main rivals, did not prevent the unexpected outcome.

With his wedding celebrations approaching – the civil ceremony having already taken place discreetly in March – some speculate that the Swede's focus might have been on the upcoming nuptials, scheduled for next weekend in Cannes.

Despite promising a new world record of 6.32 meters, Duplantis struggled from the outset, faulting on his first attempt at 5.60 meters. After clearing 5.80 meters on his first try, he then missed twice at 6.00 meters before unsuccessfully attempting 6.05 meters. The crosswind was cited as a factor that disrupted the athlete.

Ahead of the event, Duplantis had expressed his ambition to replicate his previous year's success: “Breaking the world record here last year was a dream come true. Now, it’s time to do it again.”

This marks only the fifth defeat for "Mondo" Duplantis in 105 competitions since 2020.