There is a luck in leasure - review of Diamond League in Rome [EN]

 Once I said, that I'm slowly running out of words to describe what Mondo Duplantis does. At this point, I have none left so it's time for a picture and a moment of silence.

Oh, what a competition that was! My famous feeling was telling me, that watching is compulsory and well, it wasn't wrong. Pole vault just never disappoints, especially when we have this name on the start list. But as always, the first review of the whole meeting so about our record holder we are gonna talk later on. 

Claudio Stecchi from Italy did not start, so instead of eight athletes in this rivalry, we had seven.

Raphael Holzdeppe was seventh, without high jumps in recent competitions, not only Rome. German didn't jump 5.30, to start an event from 5.45 which he cleared in the second jump, then to miss at 5.60. Let's hope that the former world champion will show us a better shape at next year's Olympic Games.

Young, French athlete Thibaut Collet was ranked higher. He was jumping from the beginning of the meeting, clearing 5.30 in the second attempt while 5.45 and 5.60 in first attempts. After this, he missed all three attempts at 5.70. 

Harry Coppel also made three unsuccessful attempts trials on this height, but other obstacles cleared without a problem gave him the fifth place. 

Fourth place - now former world record holder, Renaud Lavillenie. He started the competition at 5.45, then took two attempts at 5.60 and 5.70. However, he didn't equal his season-best which is 5.80.

But Ernest Obiena, winner from recent meeting in Ostrava, cleared that bar. At this stage of rivalry, he jumped his season best result. He made three attempts on 5.85 - three unsuccesful.

We move to the jumps that stayed in the shadow, after 6.15 of Armand Duplantis. The Belgian, Ben Broeders is in great shape and once again he proved that he's able to fly higher and higher. He only has a slight problem with 5.60, other bars he cleared in his first attempts - not counting his own, new record. In a second jump, he cleared 5.80, setting his personal best and new national record. It was a truly brilliant event for pole vaulter fans from Belgium. 

( Ben Broeders, 5.80)

Finally, we come to highlight of the evening, even of the outdoor season. I admit I'm smiling while writing this part of the text. For a sports fan, this is an unforgettable moment - oh, for sure I'm gonna tell my grandchildren about it if I'll have any. The Swede cleared 5.50, then 5.70, and 5.80, of course without any problems. I always marvel at Sam Kendricks' style of pole vaulting and Mondo's style deserves the same justice. It doesn't matter how high he jumps, it always makes everyone speechless. The gap above the bar is impressive even for people who don't normally watch this sport.

( 5.70)

A surprising problem appeared at 5.85 - the world record holder, although doing plant, take-off, and inversion, did not fly over the bar. Maybe it was a mistake during the plant or take off. The twenty-year-old landed on the pit, in front of the racks. Fortunately, he didn't land on the box. The second attempt looked as usual - sure, with a large margin. Smile and relief were visible on the man's face.

Mondo dropped 5.90 and 5.95, to clear 6.00 - new meeting record of Rome's Diamond League. Of course, the jump was just outstanding.

Here we come to this important moment, attempts to clear 6.15. Every time, Mondo jumps bars like this one, my heart beats like crazy. I wish I had measured my heartbeat at that time. This first triał was so, so close. Unfortunately, he missed, probably hitting the obstacle with an elbow. The vaulter looked like he couldn't believe himself that he didn't clear this.

( 6.15 x)

Polish commentators said - t's going to happen today. Of course, they were right and I felt, after this attempt, that this moment is coming. I was so stressed, that I literally couldn't find a good position on my chair - well, in a normal situation I would walk all over the room, but it's pretty hard with a broken foot bone. 

He did it - in brilliant style. I'm a witness to beautiful times. Mondo Duplantis, the twenty-year-old that we all love is an absolute world record holder. I bow to him for this.

( outdoor world record)

As Armand himself later commented:

I hit the mat but I haven't really fallen back to earth. I think I'm still up in the clouds right now. It's just one of those feelings where you are kind of dreaming a  little bit... It's surreal, it's surreal, it's super-crazy feeling when everything lines up like that and you do a really good performance.

 A few hours have now passed, but we're still living this moment. It's a real pity that the outdoor record is not a world record for World Athletics. It deserves a history.

Let's remember the dates - 8th February 2020, 15th February 2020, and 17th September 2020. He makes history and we are witnesses. 

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See you in Doha!