Armand Duplantis says that he believes he can go even higher after setting a new pole vault world record in 2020.

Duplantis also beat Sergey Bubka’s 1994 effort to record the highest ever outdoor clearance with a 6.15m vault in Rome in September.

“I definitely think I can jump higher,” Duplantis told BBC World Service Sport.

“There is always room to improve. I definitely don’t think I am done progressing.

“How high? I don’t know, but I think there is more to come.”

Ukrainian Bubka, a legend in the discipline who won world and Olympic gold and broke the world record more than 30 times, has said Duplantis could clear as high as 6.25m.

Duplantis admits that the prospect of eclipsing Bubka at the top of the outdoor standings kept him going throughout a 2020 season restricted by coronavirus.

“That was the main motivation for the outdoor season at the end to really get the 6.15m and cement myself as the highest ever jumper outdoors,” Duplantis added.

“Growing up as a kid in event you see Bubka as almost this mythological creature. He was not really real in the things that he was doing, they didn’t really seem possible. Any record where you can knock him down a ranking is a pretty special feeling.”

Duplantis won silver behind American Sam Kendrick at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, but has won all 16 events he has competed in since.

“Winning an Olympic gold is the dream,” he added.

“Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to win Olympic gold, to be the best pole vaulter in the world.

“That is the big goal going into the next year.”