Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, a Swedish pole vaulter, achieved a stunning start to the outdoor season by breaking his own world record at the Xiamen Diamond League meeting. With a clear from 5.62m to 6.00m, he then set a new world record by clearing 6.17m, marking his eighth record in the discipline. Speaking of his performance, Duplantis expressed that everything fell into place for him to achieve a high jump on that day, particularly following his 6.00m attempt. He was pleased with his performance, particularly after what he considered a “sloppy” indoor season and was determined to outdo himself.

American athlete Sam Hendricks, who finished second in the pole vault event, praised Duplantis, saying that he had “God’s hand on his back.” Meanwhile, Australian teenager Torrie Lewis caused an upset by defeating world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson in the 200m. Richardson, however, mentioned that she was nervous at the start, but ultimately felt comfortable on the track and was content with her performance, acknowledging areas for improvement. Gudaf Tsegay, a multi-medallist in various distance running events, set a meet record and world lead in the women’s 1500m race.

Additionally, American Shelby McEwen and Cuban-born Portuguese Pedro Pichardo secured victories in the men’s high jump and triple jump events, respectively. China’s Lijao Gong also triumphed in the women’s shot put, marking successful performances for the athletes on the field.