Duplantis is challenged by the king of the Diamond League
Since last year, Mondo Duplantis is ready for the BAUHAUS-gala on July 2. In the same branch, we get to see the king of the Diamond League who is coming back to Stockholm, Renaud Lavillenie. He is the one who has competed the most times of any track and field athlete since the start of the competition series, 72 events (!), winning 33 of them, and won the Diamond League title* 7 years in a row (2010-2016). As many titles as the triple jumper Christian Taylor, but he needed 8 years to accomplish that feat.
Lavillenie now comes to challenge Mondo, to the best of his ability, we must say. The two pole vaulters have a very good and special relationship with each other. Lavillenie is one of the best "cheers" and almost like a father to Mondo. We saw that last winter when Mondo set his latest world record, precisely at Lavillenie's own pole vault competition. The king of the Diamond League has turned 36 years old. Hopefully he can keep it together for just over another year to compete on home soil at the Paris Olympics next year. It could probably give an extra feeling in that pole vault competition.
Otherwise, we get to see the entire world elite in pole vault except for the Americans because the American championships start just 3 days after the BAUHAUS-gala. But most things suggest that Mondo will put on his own show in front of the magical atmosphere among the stadium crowd, just like last year when Mondo jumped higher than anyone else had ever done outdoors. We hope that someone else can get over 6 meters and keep the fight for victory alive for a while anyway. Why not Ernest Obiena, who was over 6 meters this year, as well as Sondre Guttormsen, who struck with his life's first indoor six-meter jump this year. Former Olympic champion Thiago Braz is also on the starting list.
Then it remains to be seen if Mondo can catch up and overtake Lavillenie in the number of Diamond League titles and number of competitions. The most titles among the Swedes are Daniel Ståhl and Mondo Duplantis, who have won two titles each.
*Until 2016, the Diamond League was crowned the winner by the person who accumulated the most diamond league points in a season. since 2017, whoever wins the final wins the Diamond League title.
The queen of the Diamond League ready for another visit to Stockholm Stadium
The queen of the Diamond League, the discus thrower Sandra Perkovic is coming to the BAUHAUS-gala. She is the biggest winner in the history of the Diamond League among women. She won the Diamond League title 6 years in a row (2012-2017). As many as the Polish shot putter Anita Wloarczyk (2013-2018). But Perkovic is the only woman to have twice won all Diamond League competitions in one season, in 2013 all 7 competitions and in 2016 all 6 competitions. She is also the one who has won the most sub-competitions in Diamond, 45 times in 69 attempts, thus slightly better than Lavillenie. The most intense winning period was 2012-2017 when she won 36 out of 40 possible sub-competitions. An incomparable result.
The starting field in the discus is otherwise world-class with the American Valerie Allman, who has already thrown over 70 meters this year, as well as the Dutch Jorinde van Klinken, who somewhat surprisingly won in Oslo last time. We will see three Swedes in the starting field, Caisa-Marie Lindfors who has been over 60 meters this year, Emma Sralla and Emma Ljungberg. So many have never had the chance to compete in the same Diamond League women's discus competition before. Can we see all three over 60 meters?
Top 3 number of individual wins in Diamond League competitions
Women
45 Sandra PERKOVIĆ, Discus
37 Caterine IBARGUEN, Long jump + triple jump
35 Valerie ADAMS, Shot put
Men
33 Renaud LAVILLENIE, Pole vault
28 Christian TAYLOR, Long jump + triple jump
21 Mutaz Essa BARSHIM, High jump
