What better place to set a world record than the final of an Olympic Games? Cue Armand Duplantis.
High man
Armand Duplantis retained his Olympic pole vault title. He won the competition with a jump of 6m. Sam Kendricks of the United States was second at 5.95m and Emmanouil Karalis from Greece was third. Duplantis, who was born in the United States but competes for his mother's homeland of Sweden, then went on a personal show of setting an Olympic record of 6.10m. And once that was over, he tried to break his own world record of 6.24m. He reached 6.25m on the third and final attempt. Gold medal. World record. Result.
History time
The pole vault competition featured in the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896. William Hoyt won it with a jump of 3.30m. Bob Richards from the United States was the first man to claim back-to-back titles in Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne four years later. Duplantis joins him and at 24 is young enough to be among the field in Los Angeles in 2028 and brandish a third title. That would really set the bar high.
Come and go
Beatrice Chebet from Kenya claimed the country's first gold medal with her victory in the women's 5000m in 14 minutes, 28.56 seconds. Compatriot Faith Kipyegon was second and the defending champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands was third. Kipyegon, who won the world championships title last summer in Budapest, had an anxious few minutes after the race. The 30-year-old was initiially disqualified for obstruction but reinstated. Chebet will also run in the 10000m. She'll be favourite for that after setting a world record of 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds at a meeting in Eugene in the United States on 25 May.
King's man
Frederik X - not to be confused in any way, shape or form, with Malcom X - was at the La Chapelle Arena to watch Viktor Axelsen's attempt to retain his men's singles title in the badminton. And 30-year-old Axelsen, who won bronze in the event at the 2016 Games in Rio, didn't disappoint the Danish king. He beat Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-11. Axelsen met the monarch after the game and was still whirring following the audience. "I think we are very, very lucky in Denmark to have an amazing royal family and what they're doing for sports, what they're doing for the country," he beamed. "I'm so proud. And I'm even more proud that the king was here watching me play and having a chance to talk with him afterwards was amazing." Arise Sir Viktor.
Family man with plans
As he sat between 23-year-old Kunlavut Vitidsarn to his right and the 26-year-old bronze medalist Lee Zii Jia to his left, 30-year-old Viktor Axelsen hinted that it was time to be thinking of fresh pastures. The Dane said he would celebrate becoming only the second man after China's Lin Dan to defend an Olympic title by spending some quality moments time with his wife and two daughters. "I'm not quitting badminton now, that's for sure. I will continue. And if I'm still competitive in four more years, then maybe I will go for another Olympics." As he tapped Vitidsarn and Jia on the shoulder, he added: "I don't know if I can keep this level for four more years because these guys are doing very well also."
