Mondo Duplantis will launch his bid for a sixth successive Diamond League title at the opening meeting of the season in Doha on May 8.
Already confirmed to compete in London and Silesia in 2026, the pole vault world record holder will make his first appearance of the new season at the Mazzraty Doha Meeting.
Duplantis is one of the biggest names in global sport, having won two Olympic gold medals, six world titles and five Diamond Trophies over the past five years.
He has also broken the world record on no fewer than 14 occasions, most recently with a breathtaking 6.30m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last year.
It will be Duplantis’ third appearance in Doha, where he remains unbeaten after wins in 2020 and 2022.
Yet it has been far from plain sailing. The 2020 event was postponed due to the pandemic (he won the rescheduled competition with a best of 5.82m), while in 2022 the men’s pole vault was delayed by one day and moved indoors due to high winds. Duplantis cleared 6.02m for the win on that occasion – a mark that still stands as the meeting record.
“We’ve had a couple of challenges in the past for sure, but I’ve always loved coming to Doha,” said the 2025 World Athlete of the Year.
“Last year was amazing for me. I ticked off a couple of really big goals, stuff that was high up on my bucket list, but my hunger and motivation is still 100% there. My training has gone well over the winter and I’m looking forward to competing indoors – it’s important to have something new to aim for, and for me, I want to successfully defend my European title.
“Doha will follow and it’s the perfect meet to kick off my outdoor season. I definitely prefer the warm weather to the cold, so hopefully conditions will be conducive to jumping high, challenging my meeting record, and setting a solid benchmark – and new goals – for the year ahead.”
The Swedish star will be looking to add to his tally of 41 career Diamond League wins and get his title defence off to a successful start.
He is aiming for a sixth straight Diamond League title in 2026, which would leave him just one behind the record of seven held by fellow pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie and US triple jumper Christian Taylor.
Doha is the first leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League, which will cross four continents and 15 cities en route to the two-day series final in Brussels on September 4-5.
