McTaggart Shines at Continental Tour, Lauds Duplantis’ Record Break

New Zealand pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart delivered an impressive performance, finishing second at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series event held in Budapest on September 27, 2023. Her achievement came shortly after fellow competitor Mondo Duplantis of Sweden set a new men’s pole vault world record during the event. Duplantis cleared a remarkable height of 6.29 metres, surpassing his previous record by one centimetre.

This latest milestone marks the 13th time Duplantis has broken the world record. The 25-year-old athlete first set the record in 2020 with a leap of 6.17 metres, surpassing the previous mark held by French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie since 2014. McTaggart expressed her admiration for Duplantis, highlighting his impact on the sport.

“Everybody knows when Duplantis enters a stadium,” she remarked. “Especially with his intros, he gets that little bit louder of a cheer. When he’s going for those world records, the stadium just absolutely lights up.”

McTaggart, who is the same age as Duplantis, reflected on their early days in the sport, recalling their first meeting at German competitions eight years ago. “He’s super down to earth and chats with all of us. We can sit down and have lunch at different competitions. For how well he’s done, he’s humble beyond belief,” she said.

McTaggart’s Consistent Performance

At the Istvan Gyulai Memorial, McTaggart cleared a height of 4.67 metres, placing second behind Slovenia’s Tina Sutej, who won with a height of 4.73 metres. Fellow New Zealander Imogen Ayris finished sixth after clearing 4.51 metres.

McTaggart’s recent form has been exceptional. Last month, she achieved a personal best of 4.73 metres at the Diamond League event in London. “Today was actually my fourth biggest height, so it’s good to see that I’m getting back up in the upper quartile of my jumps,” she noted. “The consistency and first attempts are placing me a lot higher lately.”

She attributes her success to a combination of being injury-free, a solid training programme, and an improved mental approach to competition. “I’ve never been training better. I think there’s a maturity that’s really come into my competitions, which is just staying a lot more calm and controlled,” she explained.

McTaggart trains for several months each year at Loughborough University in the UK, where she works with British coach Scott Simpson. Since late 2023, Simpson has been coaching McTaggart along with fellow Kiwis, aiming to refine their techniques and boost their performance.

Family Legacy and Future Aspirations

Pole vaulting runs in Duplantis’ family, with his father, Greg Duplantis, being a former pole vaulter and his sister, Johanna Duplantis, recently competing in Budapest. Johanna finished eighth in a significant competition, benefiting from the experience of being alongside her record-breaking brother.

Looking ahead, McTaggart is focused on her future events, particularly the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. With a solid foundation and a growing confidence in her abilities, she is optimistic about her performance. “There will be many more records that I will be able to see in the future, I’m sure,” she concluded, referencing the potential for more record-breaking feats in the sport.

As the excitement around pole vaulting continues to grow, McTaggart and Duplantis both represent the evolving landscape of athletics, inspiring the next generation of athletes.