Swede Duplantis breaks world pole vault record again

GLASGOW (AP) — Armand Duplantis broke the world pole vault record on Saturday for the second time in eight days.

The American-born Swede eclipsed his own mark by a centimeter when he vaulted 6.18 meters at the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix.

“This was such a great competition,” Duplantis said as he was handed a world record bonus check for $30,000. “There was such great energy the crowd was giving me and I really thrive off that.”

He opened at 5.50 meters and then got over 5.75 on his second try. Two-time world champion Sam Kendricks led at that point, but exited the competition at 5.84.

Duplantis sailed over with his first attempt at 5.84. With no one else left in the event, he also flew over at 6.00, a UK indoor all-comers record.

The 20-year-old vaulter had the bar moved up to 6.18 and one attempt was all he needed as he flew well clear.

Duplantis also broke the record in Torun, Poland last Saturday when an effort of 6.17 bettered the 6.16 set by Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie in Donetsk, Ukraine in February 2014.