World and Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis has announced that he will skip the indoor athletics season, including the 2027 European Championships in Valencia to rest and recover for the outdoor season.
“I’m making this decision to give my body the recovery and preparation it needs, so that I can perform at my best when I return to competition. My focus will be on training well and getting ready for the 2027 outdoor season, which runs from the beginning of May until the World Championships in mid-September,” the 26-year-old said in a statement.
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In his last few competitive appearances, Duplantis had to anticlimactically withdraw from the Brussels Diamond League final after experiencing tightness in his leg. He went on to win the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, though, with a mark of 6.20m.
It has been yet another stellar season for Mondo, where he pushed his world record ceiling to 6.31 m, but fitness issues have crept up more frequently than the US-born Swede would have liked.
“I’ve had a fantastic season this year, I love pole vaulting and want to keep challenging myself to reach even greater heights, but it’s also been a season with an overly demanding competition schedule during the summer. I had far too much going on last year and not enough time to prepare for the intense competition schedule.” he said.
(With inputs from AFP)
Published on Oct 02, 2026
