Duplantis claims gold, Ehammer breaks heptathlon world record

World record holder Armand Duplantis of Sweden claimed his fourth consecutive world indoor title in the men's pole vault at the World Athletics Indoor Championships here on Saturday, clearing 6.25 meters to set a season's best, reported Xinhua.

Duplantis opened with an easy clearance at 5.50m. Greece's Emmanouil Karalis, ranked second in the world after clearing 6.17m at the Greek indoor championships, opted to start at 5.70m and remained flawless until missing his first attempt at 6.00m. He regrouped to clear 6.00m and then 6.05m at the first attempt to become Duplantis' only serious challenger.

The Swede delivered a masterclass in consistency, clearing 6.10m, 6.15m and 6.25m all at the first attempt to break his own championship record and secure gold. Karalis failed at 6.20m and 6.25m and settled for silver, while Australia's Kurtis Marschall equaled his personal best at 6.00m to take bronze. It was the first time in an indoor global championship that three men cleared six meters in the same competition.

"I am proud of our jumps and of winning," Duplantis said. "Today it was more about the competition itself. It was a tough competition, so I didn't go for the world record."

Belgium claimed the mixed 4x400m relay title in dominant fashion, clocking three minutes 15.60 seconds to break the championship record. Spain took silver in 3:16.96, while Jamaica was disqualified for an illegal position switch before a takeover, promoting host Poland to bronze in 3:17.44.

In the men's high jump, 24-year-old Ukrainian Oleh Doroshchuk cleared 2.30 meters on his first attempt to claim his first international title. Mexico's Erick Portillo emerged as a dark horse, clearing 2.30m on his third and final attempt to secure silver with a personal best. South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok and Jamaica's Raymond Richards shared bronze with 2.26m.

The 400m finals were contested in two timed sections. Canada's Christopher Morales Williams won the men's 400m in 44.76 seconds in the second section, breaking the championship record. The USA's Khaleb McRae took silver in 45.03, and Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards claimed bronze in 45.39.

In the women's 400m, Czech runner Lurdes Gloria Manuel, also in the second section, ran a personal best of 50.76 to win gold. Poland's Natalia Bukowiecka set a national indoor record of 50.83 for silver, and the Netherlands' Lieke Klaver took bronze in 51.02.

After two days of competition, Switzerland's Simon Ehammer amassed 6,670 points in the men's heptathlon to break the world record and clinch gold. Heath Baldwin and Kyle Garland of the United States took silver and bronze, respectively.

Italy's Nadia Battocletti won the women's 3,000m in eight minutes 57.64 seconds, followed by American Emily Mackay (8:58.12) and Australia's Jessica Hull (8:58.18).

Britain's Josh Kerr claimed the men's 3,000m gold in 7:35.56, edging Olympic champion Cole Hocker of the United States, who finished in 7:35.70. France's Yann Schrub took bronze by just 0.01 seconds.

In the women's triple jump, Cuba's Leyanis Perez Hernandez defended her title with a second-round leap of 14.95 meters. World record holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela took silver with a fourth-round effort of 14.86m, while Senegal's Saly Sarr set a personal best of 14.70m to claim bronze.

In the men's 60m hurdles final, Poland's Jakub Szymanski delighted the home crowd by clocking 7.40 seconds to edge Spain's Enrique Llopis (7.42) and claim the host nation's first gold medal of the championships. Trey Cunningham of the United States took bronze in 7.43 seconds.

The women's 60m final was equally tight. Italy's Zaynab Dosso claimed gold in 7.00 seconds, while American Jacious Sears and Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred both clocked 7.03. Sears took silver by three thousandths of a second on photo finish, leaving Alfred with bronze.