Pole vault king Mondo Duplantis came through qualifying in routine fashion at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday (13 September).
The Swede needed just two jumps to make Monday’s final, clearing 5.55m and 5.75m by huge margins. The automatic qualification height was 5.80m, but only 12 men went over at 5.75m meaning no further height was required.
Former world record holder and London 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie needed a third-time clearance at 5.70m to stay alive. The Frenchman, who turns 39 on Thursday, was then successful at 5.75m on the second attempt to go into the final.
Among the big-name casualties were the Philippines’ EJ Obiena who had two failures at 5.70m before choosing to go up to 5.75m. But the world silver medallist from Budapest 2023 went out.
Also departing were Belgian Ben Broeders, the partner of star hurdler Femke Bol, and Poland’s three-time World Championship medallist Piotr Lisek. Both men had three failures at 5.75m.
No such problems for two-time world champion Sam Kendricks, Greek star Emmanouil Karalis, and Norway’s Sondre Mogens Guttormsen who all progressed without a failure.
The men’s pole vault final takes place on Monday at 19:49 local time (10:49 GMT).