Pole vault superstar Armand “Mondo” Duplantis is setting his sights on what he predicts will be a “super-sick” world championships in Tokyo next month, returning to the venue where he won his first Olympic medal during the pandemic-delayed 2021 Summer Games.
The US-born Swede heads into the September 13–21 championships in blistering form, having set his 13th world record, 6.29 metres, in Budapest on Tuesday, further cementing his place among track and field’s all-time greats.
Despite the record-breaking streak, Duplantis insists statistics are not his primary focus. “I’m just making sure that all the little details are very polished and that I’m ready at the most important time,” he said Thursday ahead of the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland.
A full house in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium, in stark contrast to the empty stands of 2021, has Duplantis “super excited” about the atmosphere. “I have super high expectations. I think it’s going to be insane. Then it’s just up to me to enjoy it and put on a good show,” he said.
The 25-year-old, who has used the same pole for his last 10 world records, dismissed talk of chasing a “magic number” like 6.30m. “I’m not fixated on any particular height. I just try to maximise the now,” he said, though warning, “there’s a lot more to come, and I’m going to keep pushing it.”
Duplantis credited his unprecedented consistency to physical and mental growth in recent years. “I’m just better in every way… there’s going to be a day where I don’t jump well, but it probably won’t happen two times in a row,” he added.
Written By Rodney Mbua
