Australian Curtis Marshall (AP Photo)
The course that saw Armand “Mondo” Duplantis ascend to another world record a year ago became the scene of a rare defeat on Sunday, as the Swedish star’s remarkable winning streak finally came to an end in the Diamond League in Stockholm.Competing in front of a home crowd at the Olympic Stadium in Stockholm, Duplantis finished second behind Australian Curtis Marshall, concluding an extraordinary streak of 40 consecutive victories. The Swede cleared 5.80 metres, while Marshall claimed victory with a best jump of 5.90 metres, claiming his first Diamond League title.It was Duplantis’ first defeat since the Diamond League in Monaco in July 2023, where he finished fourth with 5.72 metres.
Interestingly, Marshall also finished ahead of him on that occasion, finishing third.Over the nearly three years between those two defeats, Duplantis created one of the most dominant stretches in track and field history. The Olympic champion won two outdoor world titles, two world indoor championships, multiple Diamond League crowns and an Olympic gold in Paris in 2024. During that time, he also rewrote the world pole vault record ten times, improving it from 6.23m to the current mark of 6.31m.
However, upon returning home, the Swede endured an unusually difficult evening. He missed his opening attempt at 5.60m and later failed twice at 6.00m and once at 6.05m, ending his hopes of extending his winning streak.Despite the disappointment, Duplantis was gracious in defeat and was quick to credit his Australian rival.“I felt a little unfocused today and I didn’t really want to lose here in front of my family and my fans.
I haven’t lost in what 3 years? But hats off to Curtis today who beat me fairly and I have no excuses. I’m not angry and I will continue to enjoy my time here in Stockholm with my family. “I’m also getting married soon, I’m very unlucky in sports – unlucky in love if that’s a saying?”, Mundo answered cheekily after being asked about his loss.For Marshall, the win was a moment of relief after years of competing under the sport’s dominant figure.“I didn’t mean to spoil (Mondo’s) show but I’m very happy with this win,” Curtis said. “It took me a long time to get my first Diamond League win and I really thought he would never get Mondo here. This stadium is amazing and the crowd were amazing despite their support for Mondo. We know he will be back because he doesn’t like losing but he told me he was happy it was me! I’ll build on that.”The Australian admitted he had hoped to traverse greater heights but found the conditions difficult.He said: “I wanted to go up today but the wind was tough at times. I think I was lucky with the wind there at 5.90. I’m going to Oslo now but the conditions there aren’t looking promising now so we’ll see. Track and field wouldn’t be what it is without Mundo so we’re very lucky to have him in our sport.”Although the result deprived Stockholm fans of another celebration for Duplantis, it provided a reminder that even the greatest winning streak eventually comes to an end. For Marshall, this was a career-defining victory. For Duplantis, it was a rare setback in a career that continues to redefine what is possible in the pole vault.