Armand Duplantis sets pole vault world record for 14th time on his way to gold at 2025 World Athletics Championships - 'Knew I had it in me'

Swedish sensation Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis said the "only way to leave Japan was to set the world record" for the 14th time after he cleared the bar at 6.30m to break new ground in the men's pole vault at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Emmanouil Karalis of Greece took silver (6.00m) with Kurtis Marschall of Australia claiming bronze (5.95m).

Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis broke the world pole vault record for the 14th time with a height of 6.30m on his way to gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Duplantis had already established an unassailable lead, with Emmanouil Karalis of Greece in the silver medal position (6.00m), when he set the world record at his third attempt to spark wild scenes at Japan's National Stadium.

'Mondo' had toppled the bar on his previous two at the height, but made no mistake third time around to take the sport literally to even greater heights.

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Kurtis Marschall of Australia took bronze after posting a new personal best of 5.95m.

"I'm really at a loss for words, I'm just so happy. To be able to give you guys this world record is just amazing," Duplantis told reporters, having hugged his mentor Renaud Lavillenie following his astonishing triumph.

'He makes it look so easy!' - Duplantis breaks pole vault world record once again

Video credit: TNT Sports

"For the past two weeks I really enjoyed being in Tokyo. I have been enjoying everything so much. I feel the only way to leave Japan was to set the world record. That was my mentality.

"I don't know what is next for me at this moment. I don't care. I will just enjoy this right now. I was feeling really good the whole day. I knew I had the record in me.

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"The run says it all, everything is about speed. As long as I have that right, I know it will work out for me."

"I am just so happy," Duplantis added. "I wanted to come back to Tokyo because I knew it was a wonderful city. But it’s better than I ever imagined.

"This is the biggest dream ever to come true for me."

Duplantis' big moment was the first world record set at these Championships, and it was the latest chapter in his glittering career.

Armand Duplantis of Sweden celebrates his victory of the Gold medal and breaking the world record after the Pole Vault Men Final at day three of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.

Image credit: Getty Images

The 25-year-old's victory represents his third consecutive world championship gold, following his success in 2023 in Budapest and 2022 in Oregon.

The two-time Olympic champion played to the gallery by striking a Shohei Ohtani pose after breezing over 6.15m before leaping into the jubilant crowd after setting his world record.

"It's better than I could have imagined. To give you guys this world record is amazing. I'm just so happy," he told the crowd.

How to watch the 2025 World Athletics Championships

TNT Sports will broadcast 30 hours of live television coverage from the World Athletics Championships, available in addition to a daily highlights programme. Streaming subscribers will also be able to watch nearly 50 events live and on-demand via discovery+.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

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