TOKYO, July 31, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - World record holder Armand Duplantis
sailed through qualification for the men's Olympic pole vault on Saturday --
a competition missing his arch-rival Sam Kendricks, who tested positive for
coronavirus.

   Duplantis was one of 14 men to go through to Tuesday's final after
clearing 5.75 metres at the Olympic Stadium.

   The 21-year-old Swede, known as "Mondo", had one blip at 5.50m, but will
be odds-on favourite to claim Olympic gold.

   Two-time world champion Kendricks was withdrawn from the Games after his
positive test, a fate that also befell Argentina's German Chiaraviglio.

   France's Renaud Lavillenie, the 2012 gold medallist who won silver in Rio,
did not make it easy for himself, failing twice at his entry height of 5.50m
before going over at the third attempt.

   There was no such luck for Poland's Pawel Wojciechowski, the world
champion in 2011, who bailed out at the same height.

   Joining Duplantis and Lavillenie will be reigning Olympic champion Thiago
Braz, who won gold on home soil in Rio.

   Poland's Piotr Lisek and US pair Christopher Nilsen and Kc Lightfoot also
went through along with Ernest Obiena, bidding to become the first track and
field athlete from the Philippines to win an Olympic medal for 85 years.

   Duplantis is the only man to have gone over six metres this year, but
there are four through who have reached that milestone outdoors at some stage
in their careers.