ZURICH (Reuters) -World record holder Mondo Duplantis won his fifth straight Diamond League pole vault final on Wednesday, while Katie Moon took the women's title as she prepared to defend her world crown in Tokyo next month.
American Joe Kovacs won the men's shot put, while local favourite Simon Ehammer took victory in the men's long jump to the roaring applause of the crowd at Sechselautenplatz, the largest square in Zurich.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Duplantis cleared 6.0 metres on his fifth
attempt and Greece's Emmanouil Karalis matched the Swede's effort. But neither man cleared 6.10 metres and Duplantis got the win on countback.
Duplantis, who improved on his own world record with 6.29 metres in Budapest two weeks ago, now has five Diamond League trophies, two fewer than French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie and American triple jumper Christian Taylor who share the record of seven.
"I am a human being, I do not break world records every day, there are days when I feel decent and others when I feel bad," Duplantis said. "Today I felt somewhere in between. Street event like today, I love it."
"I have five Diamond trophies now, Renaud Lavillenie has seven, so I am getting closer."
Moon cleared 4.82 metres on her sixth attempt to beat fellow American Sandi Morris to the title, winning her second Diamond League trophy.
"My victory wasn't happening without the crowd. I needed their extra energy," Moon said. "I love when the crowd is right there and you feel the energy. To win here and to execute this way gives me a real boost of confidence. In Tokyo I will do everything to retain my title."
Three-time Olympic silver medallist Kovacs beat compatriot Payton Otterdahl to win the men's shot put title with a throw of 22.46 metres. Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands took victory in the women's event.
"It is awesome to win here, with that high level. I would like to keep my medal streak alive but I am also happy to get home to my wife and my kids," said the 36-year-old Kovacs.
Ehammer got 8.32 metres on his third attempt, edging out Italy's Mattia Furlani to win the men's long jump, while Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won the women's high jump, clearing 2.04 metres.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
