Armand Duplantis made a strong statement ahead of the Paris Olympics by breaking his own pole vault world record with a 6.24 meters effort at the first Diamond League meeting of the 2024 season in Xiamen, China. This surpasses his previous record of 6.23 meters set at the Eugene Diamond League finale in September. He cleared the bar with ease and celebrated his achievement at his first outdoor event of the year. This was the eighth time Duplantis broke the world record, establishing himself as a dominant force in pole vaulting.
Australian Torrie Lewis also had an impressive Diamond League debut by winning the women’s 200m gold in a tight race against strong American competitors like Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson finished second, showcasing the talent and competitiveness in the field of sprinting. Marileidy Paulino, the world champion, started the season on a high note by winning the women’s 400m event in a time of 50.08 seconds. She was followed by Natalia Kaczmarek and Britton Wilson in the top three positions. In