Armand Duplantis was defeated for the first time in nearly three years at the Stockholm Diamond League on June 7, 2026, ending his 40-victory winning streak in Diamond League pole vault competitions [1, 2, 3]. Australian Kurtis Marschall took the event with a clearance of 5.90 meters on his third attempt [1, 2, 3].
Duplantis, the current world record holder in men's pole vault with 6.31 meters, failed to clear six meters or 6.05 meters despite several efforts [1, 2, 3]. Reflecting on the loss in his home city of Stockholm, Duplantis said, "It was time to lose, it was a very long time (since the last time). I can't fathom that I won 40 in a row, it's pretty sick, but it's also sick that I lose in Stockholm, which is the most important competition of the year for me." He noted distractions due to his upcoming wedding, stating, "You're either lucky in love or lucky in life, the wedding is soon, so maybe it's a huge silver lining to the whole thing" [1].
Marschall expressed joy at the victory and acknowledged Duplantis' dominance, saying, "I am very happy about this victory. It took me a long time to get my first Diamond League win. I really thought I would never get one as long as Duplantis was competing" [3].
Alongside the pole vault, other standout performances at the Stockholm meet included Melissa Jefferson Wooden winning the women's 100 meters in 10.84 seconds and Kenny Bednarek taking the men's 200 meters in 19.87 seconds, the only sub-20 second time of the day [1, 2]. Seventeen-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus claimed the men's 800 meters in a season-best 1:42.70 [1, 2].
