Mondo Mania took over Paris during the Olympic pole vault. Swedish pole vault star Armand "Mondo" Duplantis put on a show on Aug. 5 on his way to setting a world record to draw a roar from a crowd that was chanting his name at Stade de France.
The 24-year-old, who one publication called "the of the pole vault," cleared a record 6.25 meters, the equivalent of 20.5 feet, on his final vault.
The mark beat his own world record of 6.24 meters set earlier this year. Here's what to know about the American-Swedish phenom.
As far as having the majority of the highest vaults in history, Duplantis stands alone. His Olympic performance was the ninth time that he's broken his own pole vault world record, according to . He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a two-time world indoor world champion and a two-time outdoor world champion.
He also is the men's first pole vaulter to win back-to-back gold medals since Team USA's Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956. Duplantis' victory in Paris marked the 18th straight meet that he's won the pole vault, dating back to July 2023, according to . “It’s hard to understand honestly — if I don’t beat this moment in my career, then I’m pretty ok with that,” Duplantis told afterward.
“I don’t think you can get much better with what just happened. It’s dang amazing. I’m a happy man.
” Duplantis has passed the rarefied height of retired Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka, his main competition in the argument for the greatest pole vaulter of .