Daijiworld Media Network – Tokyo

Tokyo, Sep 10: World Athletics on Tuesday confirmed the ratification of three stunning world records set by Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, Lithuanian discus thrower Mykolas Alekna and Kenyan long-distance runner Beatrice Chebet.

Reigning Olympic and world champion Duplantis, 25, cleared 6.29m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Budapest on August 12, improving his own world record by one centimetre. It was his 13th world record, achieved at the very venue where he won the 2023 World Championships.

Lithuania’s Alekna, the Olympic silver medallist, broke his own discus world record with a mammoth 75.56m throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series Invitational on September 13. The 21-year-old opened with 74.89m — a new record at the time — before extending it in the fourth round. Australia’s Matt Denny also threw 74.78m, surpassing Alekna’s previous record of 74.35m, making it one of the deepest competitions in discus history.

Kenya’s Chebet, 25, clocked 13:58.06 in the women’s 5000m at the Wanda Diamond League in Eugene on July 5, shaving 2.15 seconds off Gudaf Tsegay’s 2023 mark of 14:00.21. The performance also made her the first woman to break the 14-minute barrier in the event.

All three athletes now turn their attention to the World Championships in Tokyo from September 13–21, where they will aim to add global titles to their historic records.