Armand Duplantis withdraws from Brussels Diamond League final

Armand Duplantis’s participation in next week’s Ultimate Championship in Budapest is uncertain after the Swedish pole-vault star withdrew from the Diamond League final in Brussels. The decision came after pain in his left leg returned during his warm-up, raising fresh concerns over his readiness for the next major meeting.

Duplantis did not enter the competition at the King Baudouin Stadium. He warmed up but stayed in his tracksuit and decided he could not compete properly. The issue is the same one that caused him to pull out in London earlier this summer. After improving for a period and working on the problem, he felt the irritation again in Zurich and chose not to take another risk in Brussels.

The absence opened the way for Emmanouil Karalis, who won the final with a 6.12-metre clearance on his third and last attempt. The jump set a meeting record for the Greek vaulter, who had also pushed Duplantis closely in Lausanne and Zurich in recent weeks.

Duplantis, the double Olympic champion and world-record holder at 6.31 metres, had been among the leading names expected in Brussels. His possible meeting with Karalis in Hungary will depend on whether the left-leg problem settles before the Ultimate Championship.