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Paris Olympics:
Duplantis breaks pole vault world record on way to gold
The 24-year-old, who had secured successive Olympic titles by clearing six metres, set an Olympic record of 6.10m with his next attempt.
And he improved his world best of 6.24m, that he set in April, by one centimetre at his third and final attempt, to the delight of the crowd in the Stade de France.
The two-time world champion has now broken the record on nine occasions.
Duplantis, the first athlete to retain the pole vault title since American Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956, raced to his friends and family after breaking the world record.
“I haven’t processed how fantastic that moment was,” said Duplantis. “It’s one of those things that you don’t really feel is real. It’s such an out of body experience.
“The biggest dream since a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics, and I’ve been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I’ve ever competed in front of.”
American Sam Kendricks cleared 5.95m to take silver, while Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis secured bronze on countback with a best of 5.90m.
Elsewhere in the athletics event, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson dominated the 800m final to win gold and end her wait for a global title.
The 22-year-old had finished second at successive World Championships after claiming a stunning silver on her Olympic debut in Tokyo as a teenager in 2021.
Crossing the line in one minute 56.72 seconds, Hodgkinson could not hide her emotion as the magnitude of her achievement struck.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.15) won silver while world champion Moraa (1:57.42) had to settle for third.
Gymnastics
US superstar Simone Biles said it was “just the right thing to do” after she and team-mate Jordan Chiles bowed down to Olympic gold medallist Rebeca Andrade after the floor final in Paris.
Biles had been hoping to win a fourth gold at these Games but a couple of mistakes meant she had to settle for silver behind the Brazilian.
However, the 27-year-old, who is the world’s most decorated gymnast, was far from disappointed and instead joined Chiles in showing admiration to Andrade in one of the iconic images of these Games.
The trio also made history as the first all-black podium in men or women’s gymnastics at the Olympics.
“She’s such an excitement to watch and then all the fans in the crowd were always cheering for her, so it was just the right thing to do,” said Biles.
“It was an all-black podium so that was super-exciting for us, but then Jordan was like ‘should we bow to her?’ and I was like ‘absolutely’.”
Football
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice as France fought back to beat 10-man Egypt 3-1 after extra time and reach the final of the men’s football competition.
The result means Thierry Henry’s side are guaranteed a first medal in the tournament in 40 years when they play Spain at the Parc des Princes on Friday.
Mateta, 27, swept in a late equaliser from Michael Olise’s pass to level the scores after Mahmoud Saber had powered in an opener for Egypt from close range in Lyon.
Crystal Palace forward Mateta headed the hosts in front nine minutes into extra time, after Omar Fayed had been dismissed for a second yellow card.
Olise rounded off the scoring for France, with Egypt now set to face Morocco in Nantes on Thursday in the bronze-medal match.
In the other semi-final, 2020 silver medallists Spain came from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 comeback, courtesy of goals by Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez and substitute Juanlu Sanchez against tournament top scorer Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty in the first half.