From Inside the Games

*Cover image: Getty Images.

Armand Duplantis, who has twice improved the world pole vault record in the space of a week, will seek an extraordinary hat-trick here tomorrow evening as the illustrious Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Liévin makes its debut in the World Athletics Indoor Tour.

The 20-year-old United States-based Swede followed up his 6.17 metres clearance in Torun on February 8 by adding a further centimetre in Glasgow on Sunday and, at what will be the penultimate stop on the Tour ahead of the Villa de Madrid meeting on Friday (February 21), has the opportunity to create further sporting history.

Given the huge margin by which he cleared the bar in Scotland the man they call – fittingly – “Mondo” would appear to have plenty to spare when it comes to making another advance on the 6.16m achieved by France’s Renaud Lavillenie in 2014.

“I’ve always dreamt of breaking world records, I always thought that I was capable of it,” he said at the pre-event press conference held here.

“But you never know when everything is going to come together and actually happen…

“I’ve only competed three times this year.

“My body still feels fresh and I feel good jumping now of course.

“It’s part of the whole process building up to this summer.

“I want to have my best performance and to do the best I can at the Olympics.”

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