Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulter known as “Mondo,” has once again etched his name in history by breaking the world record for the ninth time at the Tokyo Olympics. With a leap of 6.25 meters (20 feet, 6 inches), Duplantis soared to new heights, surpassing his previous record by one centimeter.
The 24-year-old Louisiana native, who competes for his mother’s native Sweden, has now cemented his status as one of the greatest pole vaulters of all time. His victory marks his second consecutive Olympic gold medal and further solidifies his dominance in the sport.
Duplantis’s record-breaking performance came after a thrilling night of track and field action. Noah Lyles, the American sprint star, had electrified the crowd with a narrow victory in the men’s 100 meters the previous night. Lyles was on hand to witness Duplantis’s historic feat, adding to the excitement of the evening.
The drama unfolded over a half hour, as Duplantis cleared the bar at 6.10 meters to set a new Olympic record. With the crowd chanting his name, he then raised the bar to one centimeter higher than his previous world record. After two unsuccessful attempts, Duplantis took a break to study video with his parents, who were both former LSU track and field athletes.
With the crowd clapping in rhythm and singing along to a French song, Duplantis prepared for his final attempt. Drawing on his years of training and the support of his family, he soared over the bar, setting a new world record and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest athletes in the sport.
Duplantis’s victory was not the only highlight of the night. Beatrice Chebet of Kenya pulled off an upset in the women’s 5,000 meters, while Keely Hodgkinson captured Britain’s first gold medal of the track meet in the 800 meters. Val Allman of the United States also won her second straight Olympic gold in the discus throw.
