AFP, Tokyo :
World record holder Armand Duplantis sailed through qualification for the men’s Olympic pole vault on Saturday- a competition missing his arch-rival Sam Kendricks, who tested positive for coronavirus.
Duplantis was one of 14 men to go through to Tuesday’s final after clearing 5.75 metres at the Olympic Stadium.
The 21-year-old Swede, known as “Mondo”, had one blip at 5.50m, but will be odds-on favourite to claim Olympic gold. Two-time world champion Kendricks was withdrawn from the Games after his positive test, a fate that also befell Argentina’s German Chiaraviglio.
France’s Renaud Lavillenie, the 2012 gold medallist who won silver in Rio, did not make it easy for himself, failing twice at his entry height of 5.50m before going over at the third attempt.
