Record-setting Duplantis lights up Xiamen, Richardson upset

XIAMEN, China -- Sweden's Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis opened his outdoor season in Olympic year in stunning fashion on Saturday as he bettered his own pole vault world record at the Xiamen Diamond League meeting.

Duplantis, the reigning Olympic, two-time world and European champion, fired out a warning to any potential rivals at this summer's Paris Games by sailing over 6.24 metres at his first attempt at the Egret Stadium to improve by 1cm his previous best set in Eugene last year.

The US-born 24-year-old entered competition at 5.62m, clearing 5.82 and 6.00m before setting the new world record -- his eighth in the discipline, each by 1cm since first breaking the record in February 2020 in Torun, Poland.

"This is my first time in China and it's exciting to get my season going," said Duplantis, who retained his world indoor title in Glasgow last month with a 6.10m clearance.

American Sam Hendricks, who finished second with a best of 5.82m, a massive 42 centimetres adrift, said Duplantis has got "God's hand on his back".

"I've been a champion before, Mondo has been my vice-champion. I've seen him from a 14-year-old come all the way up and it makes me actually ever joyous to be even just second place behind the world record holder because I know he works so darned hard, he goes all over the place and he's becoming the true champion we all want him to be."

Australian teenager Torrie Lewis produced a devastating finish to upset world 100m champion Sha'Carri Richardson in the 200m.

Richardson, who also won world bronze for Team USA in the 200m in Budapest last year, looked to have victory sewn up but hadn't counted on 19-year-old Lewis way out in lane nine, who won in 22.96sec.

"It's kind of late for me in the season to open up," said Richardson. "I was a little nervous but once I was on the track it felt like home.

"I felt really good with this first performance. I know what I've got to work on."

- 'Never raced them' -
Lewis said she was shocked, not having expected to win against a high-calibre field.

"No, not at all! My goal was honestly just to hold on as long as I could. I was in lane nine so I knew they'd all be chasing me," Lewis said.

"I just did nationals on