Mondo’s Unbeaten Run Ends At 40: Duplantis Suffers First Defeat Since 2023

Last Updated:June 08, 2026, 08:08 IST

Mondo Duplantis suffered his first defeat since 2023 as Australia’s Kurtis Marschall stunned the pole vault king in Stockholm, ending a remarkable 40-event winning streak.

For nearly three years, the story in men’s pole vault has been the same: if Mondo Duplantis is competing, he wins.

But on Sunday in Stockholm, that remarkable streak finally came to an end.

The Swedish superstar, widely regarded as the greatest pole vaulter of all time, suffered his first defeat since July 2023 as Australia’s Kurtis Marschall claimed a memorable victory at the Diamond League meeting in the Swedish capital.

A Rare Off-Day For The Pole Vault King

Competing in front of a packed home crowd at the historic Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Duplantis had hoped to recreate last year’s magic, when he broke the world record at the same event.

Instead, the 26-year-old endured an unusually difficult afternoon.

Duplantis, who has dominated the sport for years and broken the world record an astonishing 15 times since February 2020, struggled from the start. He surprisingly missed his opening attempt at 5.60 metres and never quite found his rhythm.

The Olympic and world champion cleared 5.80m but failed twice at 6.00m and once at 6.05m, bringing his competition to an abrupt end.

The result snapped a remarkable run of 40 consecutive victories stretching back to his last defeat at the Monaco Diamond League in July 2023.

Marschall Seizes His Moment

With Duplantis out of contention, Marschall capitalised brilliantly.

The Australian cleared 5.90m to secure his first-ever Diamond League victory, while France’s Baptiste Thiery finished third after matching Duplantis’ 5.80m clearance.

“I did not mean to spoil the show, but I am so delighted with the win," Marschall said afterward.

“It has taken a long while to get my first Diamond League victory and I really thought it would never come with Mondo here."

‘Hats Off to Kurtis’

Despite the disappointment, Duplantis was gracious in defeat.

“I felt a bit unfocused today and I really did not want to lose here in front of my family and fans," he admitted.

“I have not lost in three years, but hats off to Kurtis today who beat me fair and square and I have no excuses."

The Swede also found a silver lining away from the track.

“I am also getting married soon, so unlucky in sports, lucky in love, if that’s a saying?"

For everyone else in pole vault, Sunday served as a reminder that even the seemingly unbeatable can have an off day. For Duplantis, it may simply be the motivation he needs before his next attempt at history.

About the Author

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His...Read More

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