Armand Duplantis fulfilled a lifelong ambition by breaking his own pole vault world record while defending his Olympic title on Monday, highlighting a thrilling day of athletics where Simone Biles demonstrated her resilience but settled for silver.
Following Noah Lyles’ historic 100m win, Duplantis soared above six meters to secure gold, leaving Sam Kendricks of the USA with silver and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis with bronze.
The Swedish-American athlete surpassed his own mark of 6.24m with a spectacular 6.25m jump, celebrating amidst thunderous applause at Stade de France. Reflecting on his achievement, Duplantis expressed his joy: “What can I say? I just broke a world record at the Olympics, the biggest possible stage for a pole vaulter.”
In other track events, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet outmaneuvered defending champion Sifan Hassan in the women’s 5,000m, while Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson dominated the 800m. Valarie Allman of the USA defended her discus title, adding to the day’s memorable performances.
Earlier heats in the men’s 400m hurdles saw defending champion Karsten Warholm, along with Rai Benjamin of the USA and Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos, ease through comfortably, setting the stage for a fiercely competitive final.
Simone Biles, amidst high expectations, encountered challenges in her final competitions. A misstep on the beam cost her a gold, which went to Italy’s Alice D’Amato. Despite setbacks, Biles maintained her grace, acknowledging the day’s events: “Today has been absolutely wild.”
In the mixed triathlon relay, Germany’s Laura Lindemann clinched gold in a thrilling finish, overcoming strong challenges from the USA and Britain. Concerns over water quality in the River Seine were alleviated, allowing the event to proceed smoothly despite prior health concerns among athletes.
Track cycling kicked off at the National Velodrome, with Britain securing the first gold in the women’s team sprint, where world records fell repeatedly throughout the session.
Elsewhere in football, Spain staged a comeback to defeat Morocco 2-1 and advance to the men’s final, where they will face hosts France, who triumphed over Egypt 3-1 in extra-time.
As the Olympics in Paris continue, China leads the medal standings with 21 golds, closely followed by the United States.
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