Armand Duplantis keeps finding new ways to raise the bar – literally.
The Swedish pole vault superstar soared to 6.29 meters Tuesday at the Hungarian Grand Prix, breaking his own world record for the 13th time and delighting a Budapest crowd that has become something of a lucky charm for him.
The two-time Olympic champion, 25, cleared the height on his second attempt at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial, edging past the 6.28 mark he set in Stockholm in June.
A slight rattle of the bar didn’t stop history as Duplantis, almost in disbelief, looked up to see it stay in place.
“I love Hungary very much. The track is very good, I love the crowd, I would like to return,” Duplantis said, moments after sprinting to celebrate with partner Desire Inglander and his family.
Duplantis had looked off his sharpest earlier in the evening, missing his first try at 6.11.
When Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis bowed out, Duplantis ordered the bar raised for another crack at his own record – his trademark one-centimeter progression.
He has now pushed the record 15 centimeters beyond the once untouchable mark of Sergey Bubka, a man Duplantis has called “mythological.”
His first record came in 2020 in Poland at 6.17, overtaking Renaud Lavillenie, who had broken Bubka’s 20-year-old standard in 2014.
The Budapest feat came just a day after Duplantis sheepishly apologized for arriving late to a pre-meet press conference, promising, “I’ll have to make up for it tomorrow with a big leap.” He kept his word.
The American-born Swede will compete next at the Silesia Diamond League, where he also set a world record last year.
The record vault doubles as a perfect lead-up to Duplantis’ newest role – ambassador for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled for Sept. 11-13, 2026, in Budapest.
Billed as the sport’s richest event, the championship will feature a $10 million prize pool, with $150,000 for each gold medalist across 26 individual events and two relays, including a mixed 4x100. Sessions will run under three hours in a bid to capture a global TV audience.
Named a “Star Athlete” for the event, Duplantis will help promote the championship alongside other high-profile competitors branching into music, fashion, art, and media.
“We’re always looking for new ways to make sure the spotlight shines on athletics, and the Ultimate will light up Budapest,” Duplantis said. “It would be a dream to break the world record in front of a packed crowd next year.”
