At last, Mondo Duplantis is in the limelight. The formalities on the track have been wrapped up, with Keely Hodgkinson and Noah Lyles both receiving their gold medals. For the first time tonight, all attention is drawn to a 24-year-old from Sweden, who has connections to Louisiana, as he faces a bar set at 6.25m, suspended in the still, warm air around him.
Duplantis has already claimed his gold medal, marking his second consecutive win. However, that part doesn’t quite grab people’s interest. He needed to jump four times to win the competition, and interestingly enough, the first two jumps, along with the fourth, were unnecessary. It’s reminiscent of the end of Eurovision, where the champion gets to perform again—only in this scenario, the winner is The Beatles, the song is “Octopus’s Garden,” and they’re treating the audience to the entire Sgt. Pepper album as an encore.
However, after winning his 18th consecutive meet, holding nine of the top ten highest vaults in history and eight world records in four years, Duplantis is being judged by higher standards. The anticipation has intensified to a showdown everyone has wanted to witness: Duplantis versus gravity, Duplantis against the laws of physics, and Duplantis now versus the one from four months ago when he last set a world record of 6.24m. The bar now stands at 6.25m.
He begins with two misses. It seems almost absurd to criticize a double Olympic champion for not shattering the world record. Yet, this is a rare chance—a chance to deliver a genuinely historic moment for these Games. Moreover, the pole vault itself is a sport whose appeal has often been constrained by its own inherent eccentricity.
After all, it’s an event that few people can fully comprehend and even fewer can perform with any level of competence. The barrier to entry—pun intended—is remarkably high. Duplantis, being the offspring of a pole vaulter, began his vaulting journey at the age of four in his backyard. This background, while not the only factor in his success, certainly contributes to it.
What’s often overlooked is the immense skill required, the incredible physical conditioning, those 20 flawless strides executed at sprint speed, the strength and height of his grip, and how his hands instinctively gauge the “feel” of the pole as it glides into the back of the plate—all while demonstrating the grace of a gymnast as he propels himself not merely over the bar, but also around it, all while manipulating a prop that seems more fitting for a Laurel and Hardy film.
Duplantis has the potential to be a crossover star. With his tousled hair, captivating eyes, and preppy fashion choices, he embodies the spirit of a character straight out of a Timothée Chalamet portrayal, reminiscent of Withnail in a Vampire Weekend music video. Duplantis could elevate the pole vault to new heights. Like the iconic Sergey Bubka before him, he has lucrative bonuses for every world record he transcends. In the past 40 years, the two have collectively broken the world record 25 times, with most improvements measured in mere centimeters. Yet, none of these records were ever set during an Olympic Games.
As the athletes prepare for the warm-up, other vaulters carry backpacks while Duplantis rolls in with a designer wheelie suitcase. In very few events can onlookers accurately predict the champion simply by observing their entrance. Yet in this case, even a novice spectator would zero in on the standout: it’s undoubtedly the individual with the designer suitcase.
Then comes the lengthy wait. Being Armand “Mondo” Duplantis often involves a substantial amount of waiting. He is the sole participant to skip the opening height of 5.50m, lounging on the floor as others take their turns, rhythmically drumming his knees to the beat of the stadium music. He clears 5.70m as effortlessly as if he were simply stepping over a small obstacle. He moves past 5.80m and glides over 5.85m so smoothly that one might doubt whether he could even touch the bar if he tried.
Sam Kendricks from the United States and Emmanouil Karalis from Greece both make it over 5.90m, celebrating exuberantly like football fans. Duplantis, in good nature, passes 5.90m before vaulting to 5.95m as if he were smoking a cigarillo. Strangely, this event unfolds in a quieter sort of ambiance, often occurring in the background of more flamboyant happenings nearby. An Olympic record of 6.10m is obliterated amidst the raucous celebration of Hodgkinson’s triumph.
Finally, Duplantis finds himself in the center of attention. This is his third and final attempt. The crowd erupts with a tremendous cheer, solely directed at him. He begins his run. In mere moments, he will soar away, leaving the earth behind and becoming the highlight of the greatest spectacle on earth.
But let’s pause the narrative here, as he glides through the clear air, ascend higher than any human before him, transforming into a figure of legend and flying into the realm of immortality.
