TOKYO (AP) \u2014 Armand \u201cMondo\u201d Duplantis traded handshakes and hugs with the pole vaulters he\u2019d just beaten to capture his third world championship.<\/p>\n
He took a leisurely walk toward the stands to talk to his parents, his brother, his fiancee.<\/p>\n
Then, like any great performer in a jam-packed stadium, he turned around, walked back onstage and delivered the encore the people had been waiting for. <\/p>\n
It was another world record \u2014 the 14th time he\u2019s set it \u2014 by clearing the bar at 6.30 meters.<\/p>\n
Duplantis cleared it on his third and final attempt. It came more than a half hour after the racing on Day 3 of the championships was wrapped up for the evening. But nobody in the crowd of 53,000 would dare walk out on Mondo. And Mondo made a point of wringing every drop of drama out of an experience few in that crowd will soon forget. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo be able to enjoy this world record with them and give them that is super special,\u201d Duplantis said. \u201cEspecially considering the last time I was in this stadium, we didn\u2019t have any spectators. It was spooky and eerie and super weird, and not very fun, honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The night of his last performance at Japan National Stadium was during the COVID Olympics, held a year late in 2021 and without any fans. Duplantis settled for \u201conly\u201d the gold medal that time and missed the world record. The difference, he suspects, was the energy missing during those silent Games.<\/p>\n
This time, there was noise and fun \u2014 the people clapping in rhythm every time Duplantis lined up \u2014 and like any great artist Mondo knew how to play to the crowd.<\/p>\n
After clearing 6.10, he imitated Japanese baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki\u2019s pre-bat sleeve-tugging routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy brother was in the crowd and he plays baseball, so I was trying to fire him up,\u201d Duplantis said. \u201cAnd the Japanese people, if they understood it, it was just something fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Louisiana-born phenom who competes for his mother\u2019s native Sweden collected $70,000 for the win \u2014 his 49th straight dating to September 2022 \u2014 along with the $100,000 bonus that goes to record breakers at world championships.<\/p>\n
The money isn\u2019t the main motivation for a champion who has won every major title \u2014 worlds and Olympics \u2014 since the Tokyo Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s doing what I know I\u2019m capable of,\u201d Duplantis said. \u201cMotivation-wise, it\u2019s not that much of a problem. I know the level I can compete at, and I kind of demand that out of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to blame the crowd for expecting it, too. Duplantis started breaking records on Feb. 8, 2020, and has broken them on three continents and in nine counties. This latest feat puts the height at an even 6.30.<\/p>\n
\u201cSix-three sounds really nice, really clean, a new barrier for our sport,\u201d he said. \u201cIt sounds better than 6.29, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
But maybe not as good as 6.31.<\/p>\n
Duplantis has, in fact, wondered if 6.5 might be in his future.<\/p>\n
At this rate, it would take another few years. The good news is, he\u2019s 25 and, for comparison, the great Sergey Bubka, who won six straight world titles through the 1980s and \u201990s, was 31 when he broke the record for the 17th and final time.<\/p>\n
Bubka\u2019s final record was 6.14, and after France\u2019s Renaud Lavillenie topped that once Duplantis took over. He has improved the record by one centimeter every time, giving him maximum opportunities to pocket bonuses like the one he\u2019ll receive from World Athletics for this one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat Mondo has in spades is what every pole vaulter is trying to achieve,\u201d said Sam Kendricks, the fourth-place finisher who is the last man not named Duplantis to win a world title (in 2019). \u201cHe\u2019s got a jump, he\u2019s got the jets. He\u2019s got a family that really supports him, and then he\u2019s got a field of guys that\u2019s really pushing him up there.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Swiss surprise in the hurdles<\/p>\n
Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland held off the world record-holder and reigning Olympic champion to win a surprise gold in the 100 hurdles.<\/p>\n
After crossing the finish line, Kambundji stared up at the scoreboard waiting to see where her name would wind up. When she saw she was in first, her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth in shock.<\/p>\n
Kambundji finished in a personal-best 12.24 seconds to hold off world record-holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria by .05 seconds. American Grace Stark took bronze while Masai Russell, who won gold at the Paris Olympics last summer, was fourth.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou could see on my face how happy I was when I realized I won,\u201d Kambundji said.<\/p>\n
Heads up (or down) in steeplechase<\/p>\n
The most heartbreaking scene on Monday was steeplechaser Soufiane El Bakkali kneeling with his head on the track and his teammate trying to console him.<\/p>\n
The two-time world and Olympic champion was outraced to the line by New Zealand\u2019s Geordie Beamish and finished second by .07 seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongratulations for a good race today but, for me, I\u2019m coming here for a different reason,\u201d El Bakkali said. <\/p>\n
Despite his heartbreak, El Bakkali took a traditional steeplechase dip in the water pit with Beamish. <\/p>\n
Beamish celebrated a gold medal some 48 hours after another memorable scene. He tripped during qualifying and an oncoming runner stepped on his face. But Beamish got up and made the final.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might have been a blessing in disguise,\u201d Beamish said. \u201cThat gave me a lot of confidence, just being able to get back up off the ground and qualify pretty easily still. It gave me confidence that my shape was better than what I thought it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.<\/p>\n
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