The Swede opened at 6.10m, cleared it first time, went to 6.15m, cleared that first time too, and stopped. That was enough for gold at Alexander Stadium and enough for a championship record, five centimetres above his own mark from Rome two years ago. The 16 centimetres between that and his world record were left untouched by choice.

Duplantis had explained his mindset to the Associated Press two days before the final.

“When I attempt a world record, it’s just like the cherry on top,” he said. “I don’t really even get that nervous, it’s more like I won the competition and whatever happens after that is really nice.”

A London withdrawal and a left thigh

On 18 July Duplantis cleared 5.95m first time at the London Diamond League and then pulled out ahead of an attempt at 6.04m, citing a left thigh problem first felt in the days after his Budapest meeting. American Sam Kendricks took the win with fewer misses at the same height.

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“It’s never fun to withdraw from a competition. Not a good feeling at all,” Duplantis said in London.

“I felt it a few days ago after the competition in Budapest. At first it felt completely okay on the track, but then it came right away and it got much worse on the next jump.”

Scans found nothing structural. An MRI and X-ray both came back clear, his agent Daniel Wessfeldt confirmed, and he was pointed towards Birmingham with just under four weeks to rebuild.

The 6.31m he did not need

The world record has stood at 6.31m since 12 March, when Duplantis cleared it first time at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala, his 15th career world record. Sunday’s mission was different. The bar did not go to 6.20m, never mind 6.31m.

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Emmanouil Karalis of Greece took silver at 6.00m after nearly dislodging the bar several times, missed once at 6.15m and passed his remaining attempts. His last try, at 6.20m, went down. Duplantis had spent the evening watching the Greek make him work.

“I think people want to see me get pushed and to see a good competition,” Duplantis said after the final. “I think Emmanouil brings that out of me, and he brings the best out of the sport.”

“Being here healthy and winning gold is great”

Duplantis kept returning to the shape he had arrived in rather than the height he had left alone.

“The lead-up has been very difficult and stressful but luckily I was able to make it work,” he told Athletics Weekly.

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“I am so thankful for all the help I received. I was here in one piece and felt good in the body, too.”

“Being here healthy and winning gold is great.”

A fourth consecutive European title extends his unbeaten run at the championships, and he is next expected on the Diamond League circuit before the season closes.

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