TOKYO: Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall secured Australia's first medal of the ongoing world athletics championships on Monday night, capturing bronze at the Olympic stadium.

Gold, inevitably, was won by Swedish superstar Armand "Mondo" Duplantis.

There was never any question that Duplantis would pocket his third world title — so far ahead of the rest of the field is the 25-year-old, which his competitors openly admit.

The only question was whether for the 14th time he would set a new world record.

Three times on this warm and humid Tokyo night, the estimated 50,000 in the crowd held their collective breath as Duplantis tried to launch himself over a bar set at 6.30 metres without, of course, knocking the bar off.

He sent it tumbling once. A few minutes of meditation followed.

He sent

See Full Page