Armand Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen break world records at Silesia Diamond League – Firstpost

Armand Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen thrilled spectators by setting world records at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia on Sunday.

Duplantis celebrated in his usual exuberant style by setting a new mark of 6.26 metres in the pole vault, less than three weeks after he last broke it in the defence of his Olympic title in Paris.

The 24-year-old Swede was congratulated by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who came onto the track and shook his hand.

🇸🇪Mondo Duplantis breaks his world record again by covering 6.26 m.

By clearing the 6.25m mark, he is on his way to winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

I would rank him among the greatest athletes of the current era – perhaps of all time, in any sport.

An electric athlete.

pic.twitter.com/lwgDLtrZ5y

— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) August 25, 2024

“Everything came together to allow me to do this,” said Duplantis, whose first world record was also set in Poland in February 2020.

“I know a lot of people came here to see me jump, so I wanted to put on a good show for them.

“This year I focused on the Olympics, the record came naturally because I was in good shape.

“So I’m not surprised by today’s results, but I’m grateful.”

OUT OF THIS WORLD ‼️

🇳🇴’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen smashes 3000m world record @MemorialKamili with 7:17.55 🤯

It’s going more than 3 seconds faster than the previous world record 😮‍💨#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/iPTqnnl91D

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 25, 2024

At the 3,000 meters, Ingebrigtsen, who lost her Olympic 1,500-meter crown but won the 5,000-meter title, raised her hands to her face in astonishment, then to her face, her head split open, after posting a time of 7 minutes, 17.55 seconds.

The 23-year-old Norwegian beat the record held by 28-year-old Kenyan Daniel Komen by more than three seconds.

“It’s a special, incredible feeling,” Ingebrigtsen said.

“I was hoping to challenge the world record here, but because of my training I can never predict exactly what time I am capable of achieving.

“I never imagined I could run 7:17, though.”

Kenyan Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi was hoping to break his compatriot David Rudisha’s 800m world record of 1:40.91, set during his Olympic gold medal in London in 2012.

However, Wanyonyi’s limelight was stolen by his great rival over the distance, Canadian world champion Marco Arop, who looked set to set the record himself until he equalised in the final metres.

Arop, who won silver behind Wanyonyi in Paris earlier this month, finished in 1:41.86.

Expectations were high for Wanyonyi after he came within 0.20 seconds of Rudisha’s mark in Lausanne last Thursday.

However, he seemed unenthusiastic about the hype surrounding him and the idea that he might break the record.

“My body didn’t respond well, but I did my best,” he said.

“I don’t like it when people say I’m going to break the world record.

“I don’t want to say anything about the record.”

“The fire in me”

Another African Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, made no mistake in the 200m. The 21-year-old from Botswana dominated American Kenny Bednarek, who was leading in the straight, to win.

Tebogo, who received two houses and a diamond upon returning home from the Olympics, set a competition record of 19.83 seconds.

Femke Bol and Karsten Warholm both set meeting records in the women’s and men’s 400m hurdles, showing they had overcome the disappointment of not winning the Olympic titles in Paris.

Dutch star Bol had been in tears after failing to challenge Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris, finishing third, but in the American’s absence she won her second Diamond League race in a week, clocking 52.13 seconds.

Warholm had to overcome his Olympic disappointment at being dethroned as champion by Rai Benjamin, the Norwegian doing so in the best possible way in 46.95 seconds.

“I wanted to do this race well before the Diamond League Finals (Brussels, September 13-14), so it’s nice to get out there and see the momentum picking up after the Olympics,” Warholm said.

“It was difficult to get back up after such an important competition, but today I felt good.”

The charismatic 28-year-old said he hoped he would never again run as flat as he did in the Olympic final, where he still won silver.

“I didn’t have the strength to do it on the most important day of the year,” he said.

“We have to get back to work and make sure this doesn’t happen again.

“As long as I have that fire inside me, which is still burning right now, I will continue.”