The organisers of the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial - a historical meet, being the first Diamond League event to take place in Poland - are revealing the first stars of the competition. A fantastic pole vault competition is in store in the Silesian Stadium, with Armand Duplantis as the main protagonist. – I have heard a lot about this meeting and it feels like the moment to experience it personally has finally come - said the Swede.
Silesia taking over the spot on the Diamond League calendar in lieu of the Chinese meets cancelled due to pandemic is not only a matter od prestige. Joining the world's most prestigious circuit is also a guarantee that the sport's biggest names will arrive in Poland to compete on 6 August. To spice things up further, the event in the 'Witches' Cauldron' will be the first major one after the World Championships in Eugene. The athletes will be in top shape, making even world records a possibility.
With less than two months to go, it is becoming clear the talk is more than a fantasy. The organisers of the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial have confirmed the participation of Armand Duplantis, world record holder in the pole vault.
– I was speechless when I found out. He is a great athlete - said Piotr Lisek, the only Pole to have cleared the magical six-metre barrier. - He is unpredictable, the golden child of the pole vault. A true phenomenon. Every competition he takes part in, he is capable of taking the world record to a place all the vaulters in the world dream of. And all of those vaulters dream about defeating or matching him - said Jakub Chełstowski, chairman of the Silesian voivodeship assembly.
Mondo has already heard many positive opinions about the event in Poland.
- It is normal that we, pole vaulters, talk a lot about the places where we like to jump and compete. Almost every one of my friends said once upon a time that Silesian Stadium is worth visiting. So I have finally decided to try this year. One of the important reasons for my decision were the names of the vaulters that I will compete with, too. It's a simple rule: if you jump among the best of the best, you have to push harder and show your best skills. And this is what I expect in Poland - the Swedish star said.
Duplantis, who has already surpassed six metres this summer, broke the world record twice in Belgrade in the winter. He started off by clearing 6.19 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour meet, only to add another centimetre during his second visit at the World Indoor Championships. His lone road, which is already compared to the achievements of Sergey Bubka, started in Toruń, where he improved on Renaud Lavillenie's mark by vaulting 6.17. The US-raised Swedish athlete (representing his mother's country of birth) stated back then the Frenchman was his biggest idol. These days Lavillenie admits the roles have been reversed. Although he continues to pursue success himself, he has become a fan of Mondo.
Obviously Duplantis will not be the only star of the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial. The organisers have already announced that, apart from Lisek, the competition will feature Lavillenie, as well as another six-metre vaulters, the Olympic silver medalist Christopher Nilsen. The latter attempted the height of 6.07 at his last outing in the Silesian Stadium.
– It is the best preview of the show awaiting us. I hope to be a significant part of it - stated the excited Lisek.
