NANJING: Sweden’s Armand Duplantis won a third consecutive title at the World Indoor Athletics Championships with a leap of 6.15 meters and American Grant Holloway cruised to the 60m hurdles crown in Nanjing on Saturday.

Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji denied pre-race favourite Zaynab Dosso of Italy to win her second world indoor title in the marquee women’s 60m sprint in 7.04 seconds.

Dosso had dominated the heats but could not summon up her best effort when it mattered and had to settle for silver in 7.06 seconds with Patrizia van der Weken of Luxembourg grabbing bronze.

Duplantis was the overwhelming favourite after soaring to 6.27m and breaking the world mark for an 11th time in Clermont-Ferrand last month, and at Nanjing’s Cube the 25-year-old completed a century of jumps over six metres.

The twice Olympic champion comfortably scaled 6.05m for the 100th vault over 6.00m and despite a rare blip in his first try at 6.10m, he joined Sergey Bubka and Renaud Lavillenie as a triple world indoors champion.

“It’s good to compete hard like that,” Duplantis said.

“Over 100 jumps over six metres, it’s great, it’s a magical barrier that I want to clear in my career, and to be able to do it so many times, it’s hard to comprehend, really.

“I think we put on a good show for everybody.”

Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis pushed Duplantis hard but had to be content with silver after clearing 6.05m and American Sam Kendricks took bronze with 5.90m.

Olympic 110m hurdles champion Holloway exploded out of the blocks to capture an unprecedented third straight world indoor gold in 7.42 seconds and extend a decade-long unbeaten streak over the discipline.

He finished in front of Frenchman Wilhem Belocian, who crossed the line in 7.54 seconds, while home fans had plenty to cheer with Liu Junxi taking bronze in 7.55 seconds.

French pole vaulter Marie-Julie Bonnin cleared 4.75 metres to dethrone Britain’s Molly Caudery and win gold in the women’s final during the day session. She also equalled compatriot Ninon Guillon-Romarin’s French national record.

Her attempts to clear 4.80m were not successful but the 23-year-old was all smiles as she celebrated with Slovenia’s Tina Sutej, who claimed the silver with 4.70m, and Switzerland’s Angelica Moser who took bronze.

“I cannot believe it. It’s like a dream. I feel like we were there for a medal, but not the gold,” Bonnin said.

Caudery, the champion in Glasgow last year, was fourth.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen found himself boxed in midway through the men’s 3,000m final but the Norwegian expertly extricated himself with bursts of speed to finish in 7:46.09 and stay in the hunt for a 1,500m and 3,000m double.

That feat has been achieved only once at the indoor worlds, by Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie in 1999, but the 24-year-old Ingebrigtsen will fancy his chances over the shorter distance on Sunday.

“It was a little bit of a fight, but I was confident that I can make a move in the last 100m and win,” Ingebrigtsen said.

“ “I don’t enjoy the 1500m warm-up, but the racing is fun and that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow, have a lot of fun.”

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi was second with 7:46.25 while Australia’s Ky Robinson finished third in 7:47.09.

Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia claimed gold in the women’s 3,000m final with a time of 8:37.21, finishing ahead of American Shelby Houlihan (8:38.26) and Australia’s Jessica Hull (8:38.28).

“I was sick at home before coming to Nanjing, so I stayed at the back to conserve myself before making my push,” Hailu said.

American Christopher Bailey won his maiden global crown in the men’s 400m in 45.08 seconds ahead of compatriots Brian Faust and Jacory Patterson.

Briton Amber Anning won the women’s 400m title in 50.60 seconds, edging out American Alexis Holmes. Norwegian Henriette Jaeger completed the podium.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2025