Swedish pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis has once again etched his name in Olympic history, shattering his own world record with an awe-inspiring 6.25-meter jump at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 24-year-old athlete not only secured his second consecutive Olympic gold medal but also pushed the boundaries of his sport for the ninth time since 2020.Duplantis’ path to victory was nothing short of dominant. He easily cleared heights of 5.75m, 5.95m, 6.00m, and 6.10m, the latter surpassing the Olympic record of 6.03m set by Brazil’s Thiago Braz in 2016. However, Duplantis wasn’t finished. With the gold already clinched, he set his sights on breaking his own world record of 6.24m, set earlier this year in April.The atmosphere at the Stade de France was electric as Duplantis prepared for his record attempts. After two unsuccessful tries at 6.25m, including one hampered by a knee issue, Duplantis composed himself for a final attempt. The crowd of approximately 80,000 spectators chanted ‘Mondo, Mondo, Mondo’ as he made his approach. On his third and final attempt, Duplantis cleared the bar, sending the stadium into a frenzy.’I have broken the world record in the Olympics, it’s the maximum for a pole vaulter,’ Duplantis said after his historic jump. ‘To break the world record at the Olympics is the dream I had as a child and I have been able to achieve it in front of the largest crowd I have ever competed in’. In a lighthearted moment, Duplantis celebrated his achievement by mimicking the viral gesture of Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec.The podium was completed by American Sam Kendricks, who took silver with a jump of 5.95m, and Greek Emmanouil Karalis, who claimed bronze with 5.90m. Kendricks praised Duplantis, saying, ‘Mondo is an extraordinary jumper because of four factors: one, he’s got a great coach for a long time; two, he’s had a lot of time to do it; three, he’s got great equipment and understanding of the event; and four, he’s a fan of sport, and he’s got God’s hand on his back’.Duplantis’ performance further cements his status as the greatest pole vaulter in history, potentially surpassing the legacy of Sergei Bubka. As he continues to push the boundaries of his sport, the question now is not if, but when, Duplantis will break his next world record.
Key points
- Armand Duplantis set a new world record of 6.
- This was Duplantis’ ninth world record and his second consecutive Olympic gold medal.
- Duplantis cleared the record height on his third attempt, after two unsuccessful tries.
- The achievement fulfills Duplantis’ childhood dream of breaking the world record at the Olympics.
25 meters in pole vault at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
