Soaring in Sweden: Olyslagers, Duplantis hit heights
Pole vaulter supreme 'Mondo' wowed his home fans in the Swedish capital's venerable Olympic Stadium on Sunday by soaring to 6.28 metres -- the 12th time the 25-year-old has set a new landmark.
The double Olympic champ improved his previous record, set in February, by one centimetre on his first attempt, cheered to the rafters by an ecstatic home crowd.
Australian Kurtis Marschall did his best to challenge the hometown hero but had to settle for second place with a 5.90m vault before his great pal Duplantis cleared 6.00m and set the stage for his record-busting vault, making the new landmark look preposterously easy.
'Mondo' sprinted away from the landing mat in ecstasy, tore off his vest to celebrate his first ever world record on Swedish soil and declared: "This was one of my biggest goals and dreams, to set a world record here at Stadion.
"I really wanted to do it, I had my whole family here, from both sides - it's magic, it's magic!"
Of his landmark leap, he added: "I almost couldn't believe it, it felt like the very first time I broke the record. It feels unreal, I'm just so happy, it's a cloud nine feeling. It's hard to explain, it's hard to compare, it felt a bit like the Olympics.
"My grandma, she wanted me to promise yesterday that I would break the world record today - so I had a lot of pressure on me to do that in front of her, and I'm glad I could do it for her."
He reckoned he would celebrate with a night on the town in Stockholm with the visiting sprint king Usain Bolt, who was watching from the stands.
Earlier, Paris silver medallist Olyslagers had outjumped Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh with an equal season's best 2.01m leap that the Ukrainian star couldn't match, clearing a best of 1.99m.
Olyslagers' domestic rival Eleanor Patterson had to settle for joint-fourth with a 1.91m effort.
"That felt great, jumping out there in those conditions," said Olympic silver medalist Olyslagers.
"I take great inspiration competing against other world-class high jumpers, and am managing the travel to and from Australia by allowing myself more time -- and it is working."
In the 3000m, the 33-year-old Victorian veteran Hall enjoyed the win of her career as she knocked over five seconds off her personal best, battling home to clock 8min 30.01sec and oust Ugandan Sarah Chelengat by 1.26sec.
"I won a 1500 metres here a few years ago but I hadn't won a Diamond League race before. I've finally got there so it's pretty cool," beamed Hall.
"I hadn't started well but I got to the last 600 and thought 'I've got a little more in the legs'. This is my favourite Diamond League and now this only adds to that."
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