It was mostly a long wait on the infield at Alexander Stadium for Duplantis before he got going - just over an hour after qualifying started - and easily cleared 5.60.
It felt good. It's always a bit stressful with qualifying. You have to wake up earlier than you're used to, but that's okay, he says in the mixed zone afterwards.
"You're a little stiff in the morning. It's not the same feeling, but it felt good," he continues.
The qualifying height was set at 5.80 metres, but it was not needed to reach Sunday's final. Duplantis is chasing his fourth consecutive European Championship gold. His world record is 6.31 metres.
"It's the gold that counts and that's what I'm thinking about now. I'm going to try to win," he tells SVT.
A total of 14 jumpers made it to the final. For William Asker, it's all over - he cleared 5.45 on his second attempt. The result cost him a place in the final, as three other jumpers who stopped at that height advanced.
"I was too bad today. There are no excuses. It's really sad, but it's my first championship and I'll take it from there," 22-year-old Asker tells SVT.
