The Swedish-American pole vault star has been trying to fine-tune his world record during this year’s outdoor season, and he succeeded in the season’s final major Diamond League competition.
Armand Duplantis succeeded on his first attempt, and although the bar may have wobbled slightly, it ultimately stayed in place at a height of 6.23 meters above the ground.
– I entered the competition with good confidence. I felt like I had one more good competition left in me, the record-breaking vaulter himself told Swedish state channel SVT.
Armand Duplantis won the World Championships at the same arena last year and also set a world record then, so the discreet city of Eugene with its 142,000 residents seems to be something of a lucky city for the likable athlete.
Duplantis made only four jumps in the competition, the last of which rewarded the 24-year-old with yet another astounding world record.
– I had to push a bit at the end of the approach, but I didn’t have my stiffest pole so I knew it would be close to the bar, he says himself about the jump.
Family present
Since the competition was held in the US, most of the family was present. “Mondo” Duplantis was noticeably moved that he managed to set a world record in front of his closest relatives.
– It’s hard to explain, it’s a great feeling. Almost my entire family is here, my two brothers and mom and dad. That’s a big reason why I’m here and jumping so well today. Now we can celebrate together tonight, the new world record holder says.
Facts: Armand "Mondo" Duplantis
Duplantis was born in 1999 in Lafayette, Louisiana, into an athletic family with his mother Helena Duplantis (formerly Hedlund), a heptathlete, and his father Greg Duplantis, who was also a prominent pole vaulter. Duplantis holds dual citizenship but represents Sweden in competitions. At the club level in Sweden, he competes for Uppsala IF. He won his first championship gold in the European Championships in Berlin in 2018, at just 18 years old.
