In the electrifying atmosphere of Stade de France, Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulting prodigy, defended his Olympic title with a stunning world-record vault of 6.25 metres. Duplantis showcased his unparalleled dominance in the sport, etching his name further into track and field history.

From a young age, Duplantis’ path to greatness was paved in the backyard of his family's home. Raised in a household deeply immersed in track and field, his father Greg, a former pole vaulter, instilled in him a passion for the sport. Their garden was equipped with a makeshift vaulting setup that served as the launchpad for Duplantis's extraordinary career.

"I started pole vaulting when I was about four years old," Duplantis recalled. "When you have a pole vault pit in your back yard, you're going to try it. I fell in love with pole vault at a young age and stuck with it."

Duplantis’s childhood was marked by countless hours of practice and mental preparation. He vividly recalls visualising his future success, saying, "I've visualised this moment a million times in my life. I mean, this is every time I was in my backyard. I would just imagine that the bar was at the world record mark. It was the Olympic final, that's pretty much exactly what I visualised." 

This mental rehearsal has played a crucial role in his ability to perform under the intense pressure of Olympic competition. At Paris 2024, Duplantis’ performance was nothing short of spectacular. His record-setting vault was achieved with apparent ease, as he cleared 6.25 metres on his first attempt. 

The crowd of 69,000 erupted in jubilation, and Duplantis was overcome with emotion. "That's just overflowed with emotions, freaking out," he said of the experience. "I've been fortunate enough to do it several times now, but every time the feeling is kind of the same. This was a more extreme version."

His triumph in the French capital marked Duplantis’ second consecutive Olympic gold, a feat that had not been accomplished in pole vaulting since Bob Richards in 1956. With nine world records to his name, Duplantis has become a defining figure in his sport. His career includes two Olympic golds, two world outdoor championships, four world indoor titles, three European championships, and three Diamond League wins.

Reflecting on his performance, Duplantis noted, "When I'm going over the bar it's like AI (artificial intelligence), it doesn't feel real. That was more hysteria and freaking out." This sentiment was echoed by World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, who has described Duplantis as a "rock star of athletics," highlighting the awe and excitement surrounding his career.

Despite his extraordinary achievements, Duplantis remains grounded and focused on the present. "Probably one of the moments where I cared least about the future is right now, soaking up this moment right now," he said. "How can I care about anything else? When things align the way they did for me, you’ve got to enjoy those kinds of things."

His decision to attempt the world record at the Olympics, rather than waiting for a less high-profile event, reflects his deep-seated dream of achieving this feat on the biggest stage. "The biggest dream since a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics," he said. "I've been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I've ever competed in front of."

Duplantis’ final vault was executed with a sense of control and freedom. "I didn't really have anything to lose either. I'd already won and broke the Olympic record, I was already Olympic champion for a second time," he explained.

As he savours this pinnacle moment in his career, the 24-year-old acknowledges the magnitude of his achievements. "If I don't beat this moment in my career, then I'm pretty pretty okay with that. You know, I don't think you really can get much better than what just happened. So it's dang amazing."

With his remarkable feats and continued excellence, Duplantis has firmly established himself as one of the greatest pole vaulters of all time. His journey from a backyard enthusiast to an Olympic legend serves as a testament to his extraordinary talent and relentless dedication to the sport.

The Dominance of a Champion

No one needs more proof that Mondo Duplantis is among the greatest athletes of this generation, but we get it almost every time he steps onto the runway.

The Paris Olympic Games were no exception. Backed by a deafening roar from those in the stands, the Swedish pole vault star broke his own world record with a giant clearance of 6.25 meters at the third and final time of asking.

It was the final act of a sweltering evening in Paris’ Stade de France on Monday, Duplantis once again underlining his complete dominance in this event by breaking the record for the ninth time in his career.

After failing on his first two attempts at the world record, Duplantis crept over the bar on his third, springing to his feet and running to the stands to embrace his family.

“I haven’t processed how fantastic that moment was,” said the 24-year-old. “It’s one of those things that don’t really feel real, such an out-of-body experience. It’s still hard to kind of land right now.

“What can I say? I just broke a world record at the Olympics, biggest possible stage for a pole vaulter. The biggest dream since I was a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics, and I’ve been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I’ve ever competed in front of.”

Duplantis had wrapped up the gold medal long before his world record clearance, successfully defending his title from the Tokyo Olympics and adding to his three world championship crowns.

USA’s Sam Kendricks was second after clearing 5.95m and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis was third with 5.9m, but this evening, like so many previous pole vault competitions, belonged to Duplantis.

Most of the field had already bowed out of the competition by the time he got going, passing on several early heights while other athletes fell away from medal contention.

After clearing 6.10m on his first attempt, taking the Olympic record from Brazil’s Thiago Braz, Duplantis had the stadium in his thrall with a shot at the world record.

Hitting the bar on his first two attempts, he scaled the previously untouched height with his third – a thrilling gloss on the gold medal he had won earlier in the competition.

From Backyard to Global Domination

Duplantis’ success in the pole vault has been years in the making. While many athletes don’t take up the sport until their teenage years, Duplantis has been honing his craft since the age of three when his parents had a pole vault set-up installed in their Louisiana backyard.

His father, Greg Duplantis, was a professional pole vaulter competing for the United States, while his mother, Helena, competed in heptathlon for Sweden. Both are part of their son’s coaching team and have been instrumental in his success to date.

Although raised in the US, Duplantis has chosen to follow in his mother’s footsteps and compete internationally for Sweden.

Since first breaking the world record in February 2020, Duplantis has made a habit of pushing his own boundaries. His most recent record was set in Xiamen, China, three-and-a-half months ago, and prior to that he had told CNN that “I have higher heights in me.”

Clearly, Duplantis keeps making good on that promise, consistently improving on his world record one centimeter at a time. He was still soaking in the moment as the stadium emptied on Monday, lapping the track with a Swedish flag draped over his shoulders.

It will surely only be a matter of time before he’s celebrating a world record once again.

Embracing the Moment

“I think I can do it again, but I don’t really care right now,” he said. “I’m so happy, I’m going to enjoy this very much. I’ve got my family here, my girl here, some of my best friends here.

“I’m going to enjoy the heck out of this. I don’t care about anything except the present moment right now.”