Bengaluru, March 21: Sweden's pole vault star Armand Duplantis had promised something higher than his latest world record of 6.19M when he returned to the Stark Arena on the final day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 22 and he duly delivered by clearing cleared 6.20M to set a new record with his third and final attempt on Sunday (March 20).

Brazil's Thiago Braz cleared 5.95M to get world indoor silver, while bronze went to USA's Chris Nilsen with 5.90M

The 22-year-old had already secured his first world title with a clearance of 6.05M but looked a little dejected during his first two unsuccessful attempts at the new height.

Genius that he is, he found it within himself to rekindle the competitiveness that has characterised his career, and managed 6.20M on his third attempt to add a centimetre to the world record he had recorded in the same venue at the Belgrade Indoor Meeting on March 7.

Duplantis has now set four world records in the pole vault -- 6.17M in Torun in February 2020, followed by 6.18M one week later in Glasgow, 6.19M in Belgrade and now 6.20M.

After being obliged to wait for the mayhem of the two 4x400M relay finals to complete the track action, 6.20M looked a notch too far as the Olympic champion ducked under the bar on his first two attempts.

At the third time of asking, though, he steadied himself on the runway and launched himself on a near-perfect clearance, rattling - but, crucially, not dislodging - the bar on his way back to terra firma.

Then he bounded across the stands to be hugged by his girlfriend before performing a celebratory dance.

The world, or rather the air above it, knows no bounds for the soaring young Swede. Or so it would seem.

"To break the world record two times in two weeks, I can't complain," Duplantis said.

"There're no limits. The sky's the limit. Going over 6.20M for the first time - it's hard to explain. It's something that you can only dream of."

Rojas breaks new barriers

Earlier, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas also bettered her own women's triple world record with a leap of 15.74M.

Ukraine's world long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk had the triple jump competition of her life, leaping 14.74M in the final round to move from eighth to second, while Jamaica's Kimberly Williams jumped an indoor personal best of of 14.62M to get bronze.

In the process, Olympic champion Rojas surpassed her own previous record of 15.67M set at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Sense of timing, showmanship and electrifying entertainment has become Rojas's trademark. She did the same in Tokyo, saving her best for the final round, where she smashed the world record with 15.67M.

So, what is it about saving her best for last?

"I'll tell you the truth, I don't know," Rojas sais. "It didn't feel any different, but it's the jump for glory. Maybe, one day I'll be known as 'the girl of the sixth jump'."

The 26-year-old has already done it all, won it all. So what is left? One specific number.

"I was born to jump 16M," Rojas said.

"This is what inspires me to inspire others to achieve their dreams, and help athletics remain the best sport in the world."

(With World Athletics Media inputs)