Kurtis Marschall's hopes of lifting another global medal have been dashed at the world indoor championships as the Australian pole vault ace watched his great friend Armand Duplantis soar once more in Glasgow.
Adelaide's Marschall took bronze in the equivalent outdoor event in Budapest 2023 behind his victorious training partner Duplantis, admitting he had benefited by working so closely with one of the great athletes of his generation.
On the closing day of the indoor championships in Glasgow on Sunday (Monday AEDT), the 26-year-old South Australian could only finish fifth as the man known throughout the sport as 'Mondo' once again proved in a class of his own.
Even while not near his best, the 24-year-old Duplantis secured a do-or-die last-attempt clearance at 5.85m to avoid a rare medal-free night and then went on to win as the only man to clear 5.95 and then a 2024 world-leading 6.05m.
Marschall, meanwhile, had a difficult night with a first-time failure at a modest 5.50 putting him on the back foot from the start.
He went on to clear 5.75m but American double world champion Sam Kendricks went over 5.90 and Greek Emmanouil Karalis 5.85 to ensure the Australian wouldn't challenge for the podium.
“I was rolling really nicely until 5.75 but I couldn’t quite line it up how I would have liked to and felt like I just didn’t have enough juice in the tank,” Marschall said.
“It was still a learning experience. It was good for me to compete and tussle and prepare for the outdoor season and the fifth place has certainly given me some fire in the belly.”
With a successful defence of his title in the bag to go with his two world outdoor golds and the Tokyo Olympic crown, the all-conquering Duplantis then tried to put on a show for the Scottish crowd.
After clearing 6.05m at the last attempt, he had the bar raised to a landmark new height of 6.24m in a bid to set his eighth world record, indoors and out.
One centimetre higher than the mark he set in Eugene, USA, last September, Duplantis didn't come close in his three attempts.
Michelle Jenneke, the other Australian in action on the final day, bowed out in fifth place in her 60m hurdles semi in 8.05 seconds, failing to make the final won in a world record 7.65 by Bahamas' Devynne Charlton.
It meant the six-strong Australian team finished with one gold medal - won by Nicola Olyslagers in the high jump on the opening night - to finish joint ninth on the medal table.
