Duplantis enjoys 6.15m Lausanne encore after Paris epic

Armand Duplantis has proved simply excellent rather than record-breaking in his first pole vault competition since his stunning show at the Paris Olympics.

Duplantis cleared 6.15 metres on his third and final attempt despite strong gusts of wind blowing in off Lake Geneva as the sun set on a balmy evening in Lausanne on Wednesday.

The athlete known as 'Mondo' was like a rock star in the 80,000-seat Stade de France two weeks ago, soaring over the bar at 6.25m to break the world record for the ninth time.

This time, the 24-year-old got the same adulation but in a rather more intimate setting, competing in a pop-up venue circled by 5000 fans next to the lake in the home city of the International Olympic Committee.

He cleared 6.00m with ease on his first attempt after taking a pause to let the breeze pass.

The less-than-ideal conditions meant there was to be no attempt at a 10th world record leap of the American-born Swede's standout career.

Still, it was a best mark for the storied Athletissima Diamond League meeting and an appetiser for the full competition on Thursday featuring a host of Olympic medallists.

"It's always nerve-wracking when you have a big performance like I did at the Olympics," Duplantis told reporters.

"I stepped out on the track today and I really loved it."

Duplantis, his fellow vaulters and their fans — who could watch for free circling the specially created venue in a public square — looked out across the sun-splashed lake to snow-capped mountains in the French Alps.

The Swede's Aussie pal and occasional training partner Kurtis Marschall was among the support cast, finishing joint-third with a 5.82m clearance alongside Norway's Sondre Guttormsen and Filipino EJ Obiena.

Runner-up was American Sam Kendricks, who went over at 5.92m before Duplantis proved once again he belongs in a different league.