Mondo Duplantis looked set to carry his winning momentum from Zurich into Brussels after clearing 6.25m and once again holding off rival Emmanouil Karalis. With another Diamond League title within reach, the 26-year-old arrived in Brussels determined to add another victory to his season, saying, “I’m really keen to secure another Diamond League success.” However, before he could chase that goal, Duplantis was forced to make a difficult last-minute decision that has now left the remainder of his 2026 season uncertain.
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On September 4, Duplantis withdrew from the pole vault competition after completing his warm-up in Brussels. The world record holder experienced discomfort and muscle tension and decided not to take the risk. The withdrawal was especially frustrating for Duplantis because the problem was not completely new.
“This problem in my leg started in London. It felt okay since then, and I put a lot of work in, but the pain came back in Zurich,” Duplantis explained. During the London Diamond League on July 18, Duplantis cleared 5.60m and 5.95m. But he was unable to continue after experiencing pain and tightness in his leg. At that time, Sam Kendricks won the competition at 5.95m, with Duplantis finishing second.
After London, Duplantis managed to return to top form and continued producing big performances. But the problem resurfaced during the Zurich Diamond League, where he decided to push through the discomfort. He cleared 6.25m to defeat Karalis once again, but admitted, “I pushed through it, probably a little bit too much.”
That experience ultimately influenced his decision in Brussels. Before the competition, he had already set a clear rule for himself, “If I felt this irritation during my warm-up, I wasn’t going to jump. Therefore, I made the difficult decision not to start,” he said.
For Duplantis, walking away from one of the biggest competitions of the season was far from easy. The Brussels crowd had been waiting to see another battle between the world record holder and Karalis, but Duplantis knew that protecting his health had to come first.
“The worst possible thing to do is having to pull out of a competition,” he said. “Unfortunately, I can’t do that right now.”
His withdrawal has also created a worrying question about what comes next. Instead of finishing his season with another major victory, Duplantis now has to focus on recovering and finding out whether his body will allow him to compete again in 2026.
“My head is everywhere right now. It’s super difficult, but that’s life, that’s the life of an athlete,” he admitted. Despite the uncertainty, Duplantis is trying to remain positive as he waits to see how his body responds.
The biggest question now is whether he can recover in time for the Ultimate Championships. After a season filled with victories and record-breaking ambitions, another appearance is no longer certain.
“We will see if I can make it to the Ultimate Championships. I don’t have the answer right now,” Duplantis said. For now, Duplantis can only wait and focus on his recovery.