Armand Duplantis clears 6.07m to take Diamond League pole vault street showdown

World record-holder Armand Duplantis continued his perfect record this year on Wednesday, beating world pole vault champion Sam Kendricks to win a special city event in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In near darkness, the American-born Swede soared to 6.07 metres, his best-ever outdoor performance, to claim his 12th consecutive win of 2020, including seven outdoors and five indoors.

Both vaulters confidently cleared the previous five successive heights, from 5.82 to 6.02, at the first attempt before Kendricks failed at 6.07 while Duplantis again went over at the first time of asking.

Olympic champion Thiago Braz of Brazil was third with 5.72 and Frenchman Renard Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, was fourth, also with 5.72.

WATCH | Armand Duplantis clears 6.07 metres in Lausanne:

Duplantis outduels Kendricks for pole vault win in Lausanne

4 years ago

Duration 1:15

Sweden's Armand Duplantis was perfect on his way to clearing 6.07m at the Diamond League event on Wednesday.

The event replaced the traditional Athletissima meeting, as organizers decided it would be better suited to the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Swiss government regulations, 1,000 spectators were allowed to attend, divided into four zones to comply with social distancing guidelines.

WATCH | Angelica Bengtsson jumps 4.72 en route to win:

Duplantis set a new world record of 6.17 indoors in Torun, Poland, earlier this year and then bettered it by one centimetre in Glasgow. World Athletics has not distinguished between the indoor and outdoor records since 2000.

Sweden's Angelica Bengtsson won the women's event with a vault of 4.72, ahead of British record holder Holly Bradshaw (4.64) and Swiss Angelica Moser (4.64, personal best).

WATCH | Full coverage of men's, women's competitions: