DUPLANTIS TOUCHES THE SKY

American-born Swedish pole vaulter broke his own world record with a 6.25m jump at Stade de France on Monday

The pole vaulter they call “Mondo” really can put on a show. With the rest of the action at the Olympic track wrapped up for the evening and the crowd of 80,000 at the Stade de France still on their feet, Armand Duplantis rested the pole on his right shoulder and took a deep breath. Then, he lifted up that long piece of carbon fiber and took off down the runway and into the night sky.

Another Olympic gold medal already was his. When he came crashing down into the padding on the other side of that sky-high, pink-tinted bar, so was another world record.

Duplantis, the Louisiana-born 24-year-old who competes for his mother’s native Sweden, cleared 6.25 meters (20 feet, 6 inches) to break the world record for the ninth time — but the first time on his sport’s grandest stage his next move was a sprint to the stands to hug his girlfriend and celebrate his record and second Olympic gold with all those friends and family wearing yellow and blue.