The 20-year-old Swedish-American, who had set marks of 6.17 and 6.18 metres at the two previous World Athletics Indoor Tour events in Torun and Glasgow, came close to clearing 6.19 in front of a full-house crowd of 5,000, but had to settle for victory with a best of 6.07.

His friend and rival Sam Kendricks of the United States, the double world champion, provided the closest thing to opposition as he kept the competition going by clearing 5.90 at his third attempt.

As Duplantis had contemplated his third attempt at the world record, across the crowded infield, Sandi Morris - the world indoor champion and having also won here competition - was making what would be a close but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to equal the world indoor record of 5.03m held by fellow American Jenn Suhr.

She had to settle for victory with a clearance of 4.83.

Afterwards, Duplantis agreed with the proposition put to him that breaking world records was not easy.

"You said it," he told the infield announcer. 

"It’s not. 

"But this event is really special. 

"Look left - a world record attempt. 

"Look right - a world record attempt. 

"That’s really special. 

"I don’t think sport will ever have such a situation again."

Duplantis also thanked the Arena Stade Couvert crowd, saying he "really felt" their energy.

"I really appreciated the support."

Collins Kipruto won the men’s 800m in 1min 46.34sec from fellow Kenyan Cornelius Tuwei, who clocked 1:46.74. 

But the stadium was still reverberating with the pile-up that had occurred 15m after the bell as these two leaders were challenged by a group including Poland’s Adam Kszczot, who had been seeking to confirm a third consecutive overall 800m title here.

The Pole hit the deck, along with Belgium’s Elliott Crestan and Germany’s Marc Reuther, although the latter, despite a grazed shoulder, picked himself up to finish sixth.

After gesturing angrily, the Pole jogged to the finish, where he spoke heatedly to the meeting organiser and then jabbed his finger accusingly at the German - who didn’t appear ready to accept any blame.

The women’s 800m saw Britain’s Jemma Reekie, winner of the 1,500m at Saturday’s last Tour event in Glasgow, earn another outstanding victory as she defeated a field that included a powerful clutch of Ethiopian runners and Uganda’s world outdoor champion, Halimah Nakaayi, clocking 2:00.34.

Ronnie Baker, a winner in Glasgow in his first tilt at the World Indoor Tour, looked in a different class as he won the men’s 60m in 6.44, thus moving to second in this season’s rankings behind the 6.37 run by fellow American Christian Coleman in the US on Saturday (February 15).

Home runner Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, the 2018 European champion and world bronze medallist over 110m, looked back to his bright self as he won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.47 - the second-fastest run this year behind the 7.38 clocked by world champion Grant Holloway of the US.

The women's long jump ended with Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine confirming her status as overall Tour winner in emphatic fashion as she won with a last-round effort of 6.90m - the fourth-best achieved this season - to move ahead of Ese Brume of Nigeria, whose best was 6.82.

Hugues Fabrice Zango, Burkina Faso’s surprise world bronze medallist in the triple jump, had been hoping for great things having set a personal best of 17.77m in Paris earlier this month, but despite a strong start had to settle for victory with a best of 17.51.

Selemon Barega’s ambition of clocking 7:30.00 for the men’s 3,000m fell narrowly short, although the world 5,000m silver medallist gave it everything before finishing in 7:33.19. 

He was beaten to the line by fellow Ethiopian Getnet Wale, who had taken over his lead with 400m to go and withstood the 20-year-old’s huge final effort to get back on terms.

World champion Nia Ali, beaten by thousandths of a second in Saturday’s meeting at Glasgow, got the winning feeling again by a similar margin as she took the women's 60m hurdles ahead of fellow American Christina Clemons, with both being credited with a time of 7.92.

Ivory Coast’s world indoor champion Murielle Ahouré, beaten by world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her season debut at Glasgow, suffered a second successive defeat here as the women’s 60m title went to Gambian Gina Bass in 7.11 - the fourth-fastest run this year.

Ahouré was second in 7.12.

The Indoor Tour now moves on to Madrid, where the seventh and final event of this season’s series will take place on Friday (February 21).

Duplantis, meanwhile, plans to head to the central French city of Clermont-Ferrand to take part in the annual pole vault meeting organised by the man from whom he took the world record on February 8, Renaud Lavillenie, who will himself compete.