Duplantis set to light up World Indoor Championships in Nanjing

NANJING,China: Reigning Olympic pole vault champion Armand “Mondo” Duplantis will be one of the biggest stars at the World Indoor Championships this weekend as Nanjing hosts the first major global athletics event since the Paris Olympics.

Originally scheduled for 2020, the three-day event faced multiple postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than 570 athletes will compete at Nanjing’s Sports Training Centre, with action set to begin on Friday.

Duplantis, fresh off breaking his own world record for the 11th time with a 6.27m vault in Clermont-Ferrand last month, is a top contender for gold. The Swedish sensation has fond memories of competing in China after impressing in last year’s Diamond League events.

“I’m super excited,” said Duplantis. “It was my first time competing in China … and I jumped extremely well, broke the world record.”

Chasing his third consecutive world indoor title, Duplantis remains focused on pushing his limits, with a future goal of reaching 6.30m. His presence will add star power to an event set to showcase some of the best athletes in the world.(Reuters)