Armand Duplantis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Armand Duplantis

Duplantis in 2023
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Mondo, Mondo Duplantis
Nationality	Swedish American
Born	(1999-11-10) 10 November 1999 (age 25) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Education	Lafayette High School
Height	1.81 m
Sport
Country	Sweden
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Pole vault
College team	Louisiana State University
Club	Upsala IF
Coached by	Greg and Helena Duplantis
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	1st (2020)
Personal best(s)	6.26 m WR (Silesia 2024)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Sweden Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 2 1 0 World Indoor Championships 2 0 0 Diamond League 4 0 0 World Indoor Tour 2 0 1 European Championships 3 0 0 European Indoor Championships 1 0 0 World Junior Championships 1 0 1 European Junior Championships 1 0 0 World Youth Championships 1 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 2020 Tokyo Pole vault Gold 2024 Paris Pole vault World Championships Silver 2019 Doha Pole vault Gold 2022 Eugene Pole vault Gold 2023 Budapest Pole vault World Indoor Championships Gold 2022 Belgrade Pole vault Gold 2024 Glasgow Pole vault Diamond League Final 2021 Zürich Pole vault 2022 Zürich Pole vault 2023 Eugene Pole vault 2024 Brussels Pole vault World Athletics Indoor Tour 2020 Pole vault 2022 Pole vault Third 2024 Pole vault European Championships Gold 2018 Berlin Pole vault Gold 2022 Munich Pole vault Gold 2024 Rome Pole vault European Indoor Championships Gold 2021 Toruń Pole vault World Junior Championships Bronze 2016 Bydgoszcz Pole vault Gold 2018 Tampere Pole vault European Junior Championships Gold 2017 Grosseto Pole vault World Youth Championships Gold 2015 Cali Pole vault

Armand Gustav Duplantis (born November 10, 1999), often called Mondo, is a Swedish-American pole vaulter. He is known as the best pole vaulter of all time. Duplantis holds the current world outdoor and indoor records in pole vault. His outdoor record is 6.26 meters, and his indoor record is 6.22 meters.

He has won many major titles. These include two Olympic gold medals (in 2020 and 2024), two World outdoor championships (2022 and 2023), two World indoor championships, and three European championships.

Duplantis started winning big at a young age. When he was 15, he won the 2015 World Youth Championships. He then won the World U20 title in 2018. He is one of the few athletes, like Usain Bolt, to win world championships at youth, junior, and senior levels.

He has been named the World Male Athlete of the Year multiple times. He also won the Diamond League four times in a row from 2021 to 2024. As of August 2024, Duplantis has jumped six meters or higher more times than anyone else in history. He holds the ten highest jumps ever recorded.

Early Life and Family

Armand Duplantis grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. His family is very athletic. His dad, Greg Duplantis, was a pole vaulter. His mom, Helena, was a heptathlete and volleyball player.

Armand mostly spoke English as a child. He also learned Swedish, spending summers with his grandparents in Sweden. His older brothers, Andreas and Antoine, and younger sister, Johanna, also played sports. Andreas was a pole vaulter for Sweden. Antoine played baseball and became a star at Louisiana State University.

Duplantis finished high school in 2018. He went to Louisiana State University for a year, then decided to become a professional athlete in 2019.

Starting His Career

Duplantis first tried pole vaulting at age four at his family's home. He quickly became very good. By age seven, he set his first world best for his age group. At 10, his jump of 3.86 meters was better than the previous world bests for 11 and 12-year-olds.

His nickname, "Mondo," means "world" in Italian. His dad's friend gave him the name when he was very young. It was first "Mondo Man" and then shortened to "Mondo." This nickname seems to have predicted his future success in the sport.

2015–2016: Youth Champion for Sweden

In 2015, Duplantis set new national records for high school freshmen. He was named Gatorade Louisiana Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

In June 2015, he decided to compete for Sweden. He has dual citizenship, meaning he is a citizen of both the United States and Sweden. He chose Sweden partly because his older brother had good experiences representing Sweden. He also loves Sweden.

Duplantis won his first gold medal for Sweden at the 2015 World Youth Championships in Athletics in Colombia. He cleared 5.30 meters, setting a new championship record.

In 2016, he jumped 5.49 meters at a high school meet. This was a new world best for 16-year-olds indoors. He was the first high school athlete to jump over 18 feet indoors.

2017: Junior World Record and European Title

In February 2017, Duplantis set a new world indoor junior record by clearing 5.75 meters. A month later, he improved his indoor best to 5.82 meters.

On April 1, Duplantis jumped 5.90 meters at the Texas Relays. This was a new World U20 Record, beating the old record by a big 10 centimeters. It also became a new Swedish senior record.

In July, he won gold at the 2017 European Athletics U20 Championships in Italy. He set a championship record of 5.65 meters.

At the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Berlin, 18-year-old Duplantis won his first major senior title.

2018: First Senior Title and 6.00m Jump

In January 2018, Duplantis started his season with an indoor personal best of 5.83 meters. In February, he jumped 5.88 meters, setting a new world U20 indoor record.

In July, Duplantis won gold at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Finland. He broke the championship record with a jump of 5.82 meters.

On August 12, Duplantis made history at the 2018 European Athletics Championships in Germany. He jumped an amazing 6.05 meters, setting a new world U20 record. This jump earned him his first major senior title. At 18, he became the youngest male athlete to win a field event at these championships. He was also the youngest ever to join the "6.00 meter club." Even Sergey Bubka, a pole vault legend, didn't clear 6.00 meters until he was 21.

2019: College and Turning Pro

Duplantis went to Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2018. In his first year, he competed 10 times. He set new college records both indoors and outdoors. He won indoor and outdoor SEC Championships and the NCAA Division I indoor title.

In June 2019, Duplantis decided to become a professional athlete. This meant he would no longer compete for his college team.

Professional Career

Duplantis jumps 6.0 metres at Stockholm Stadium on 24 August 2019.

2019–2020: World Records Begin

In August 2019, Duplantis jumped 6.00 meters at a competition in Stockholm, Sweden. This broke the old competition record.

In October, he won a silver medal at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Qatar, clearing 5.97 meters.

On February 8, 2020, Duplantis broke the world record for the first time. He jumped 6.17 meters at a meet in Poland. Just one week later, he broke his own record again, jumping 6.18 meters in Glasgow.

He ended his 2020 indoor season by being the first man to jump 6.00 meters or higher in five straight indoor competitions. He later broke this streak himself in 2022. Duplantis also won the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Tour title.

In September 2020, Duplantis broke Sergey Bubka's outdoor world best of 6.14 meters. He jumped 6.15 meters at a Diamond League event in Rome.

Duplantis at the 2020 BAUHAUS-galan meeting in Stockholm

2021: Olympic Gold and European Indoor Title

In March 2021, Duplantis won the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships. He set a new championship record of 6.05 meters.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021), Duplantis won his first Olympic gold medal. He cleared 6.02 meters on his first try. Other athletes praised him, saying competing against him was like a regular footballer trying to be like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

2022: More World Records and First World Titles

In January 2022, Duplantis was named Sportsman of the Year in Sweden for the third time.

In March, he broke his own world record again, jumping 6.19 meters in Belgrade. Two weeks later, at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships, he won gold and broke his world record once more, jumping 6.20 meters.

In June, Duplantis broke his outdoor world best. He jumped 6.16 meters at a meet in Sweden.

On July 24, he broke his world record yet again at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon. He jumped 6.21 meters to win gold. This was his first time breaking a world record outdoors.

He also won gold at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, setting a championship record of 6.06 meters. Duplantis finished his season by winning the Diamond League trophy in Zürich. For his amazing 2022 season, he was named both European and World Male Athlete of the Year.

2023: Second World Title and More Records

Duplantis started 2023 strong, jumping 6.10 meters. This was his best-ever start to a season.

In February, he broke the world record again, clearing 6.22 meters indoors in France. This was his 60th jump over six meters. In August, he won his second world title at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Hungary, jumping 6.10 meters.

In September, he broke his own world record once more, jumping 6.23 meters in Oregon. In December, he received a new award from World Athletics: "World Athlete of the Year (Men's field)."

2024: Olympic Gold and Three More World Records

Armand Duplantis, pole vaulting qualification, 3rd of August 2024, Paris 2024 Olympics.

In March 2024, Duplantis won his second World Indoor Championships gold medal in Glasgow, jumping 6.05 meters.

In April, at the 2024 Diamond League meeting in China, he improved his world record by one centimeter, clearing 6.24 meters.

In June, he won the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome. He was the only one to clear six meters, setting a new European Championships record of 6.10 meters. This was his 60th time clearing six meters.

On August 5, at the Paris Olympics, Duplantis won his second Olympic gold medal. He cleared 6.00 meters, then 6.10 meters (an Olympic record), and finally 6.25 meters, setting a new world record. He became the first male pole vaulter since 1956 to win two Olympic golds.

Duplantis's ability to perform under pressure and keep breaking records makes him a special talent. He has won all his competitions since July 2023. His dominance is so great that he often beats other top pole vaulters by a large amount. Many compare him to legends like Usain Bolt in sprinting or Michael Phelps in swimming.

On August 25, at a Diamond League event in Poland, Duplantis broke his world record for the tenth time in his career. He increased it to 6.26 meters. In this competition, three pole vaulters cleared 6.00 meters, which was a first in history. Duplantis also won a special "Champion Ring" and prize money for his record-breaking jump.

"Karsten vs. Mondo"

In September 2024, Duplantis competed in a fun 100-meter race against Karsten Warholm, a world record holder in hurdles. Duplantis won with a personal best time of 10.37 seconds.

He ended his 2024 season by winning his fourth straight Diamond League trophy in Brussels, setting a new meet record of 6.11 meters. In October, he was named European Athlete of the Year.

Awards and Recognition

Duplantis has won many important awards for his achievements.

• In 2020, he received the Victoria Award, Sweden's highest sports honor.
• He also won the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal and the Jerring Award in Sweden.
• At the 2021 Swedish Sports Awards, he won four awards, including Sportsman of the Year. His parents also won Coach of the Year.
• From World Athletics, he won the Rising Star of the Year award in 2018. He has also won the World Athlete of the Year award multiple times (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024).
• From European Athletics, he won the Rising Star of the Year in 2018 and European Athlete of the Year in 2022 and 2024.
• In 2024, he was named BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year.

Personal Life

Duplantis has worked hard to improve his Swedish language skills. He divides his year between Louisiana and Uppsala, Sweden, for training.

The town of Avesta, Sweden, where his mother grew up, put up a pole vault bar next to a large horse monument. This bar shows the height of his world record, which made Duplantis very emotional.

Duplantis is engaged to Swedish model Desiré Inglander. They announced their engagement in October 2024.

Achievements

Duplantis celebrating his 6.0 m jump in pole vault on 24 August 2019 in Stockholm

Information from World Athletics profile.

International Competitions

Representing  Sweden

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Result	Notes
2015	World U18 Championships	Cali, Colombia	1st	5.30 m	CR
2016	World U20 Championships	Bydgoszcz, Poland	3rd	5.45 m
2017	European U20 Championships	Grosseto, Italy	1st	5.65 m	CR
	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	9th	5.50 m
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	7th	5.70 m i
	World U20 Championships	Tampere, Finland	1st	5.82 m	CR
	European Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	6.05 m	CR WU20R
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	2nd	5.97 m
2021	European Indoor Championships	Torun, Poland	1st	6.05 m i	CR
	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	1st	6.02 m
2022	World Indoor Championships	Belgrade, Serbia	1st	6.20 m i	WR CR
	World Championships	Eugene, USA	1st	6.21 m	WR CR
	European Championships	Munich, Germany	1st	6.06 m	CR
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	6.10 m
2024	World Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	1st	6.05 m i
	European Championships	Rome, Italy	1st	6.10 m	CR
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	1st	6.25 m	WR OR

Circuit Wins and Titles

• Diamond League pole vault champion: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • 2018 (1): Stockholm
  • 2019 (1): Stanford
  • 2020 (7): Oslo, Monaco, Stockholm (WL MR), Lausanne (WL MR DLR), Brussels (MR), Rome (WL DLR NR), Doha (=MR)
  • 2021 (5): Oslo (MR), Stockholm (MR), Paris (MR), Brussels (MR), Zürich (MR)
  • 2022 (7): Doha, Eugene, Oslo (WL MR), Stockholm (DLR MR), Chorzów Silesia (MR), Lausanne (MR), Zürich (MR)
  • 2023 (6): Oslo, Stockholm, Chorzów Silesia, Zürich, Brussels (MR), Eugene (WR DLR)
  • 2024 (8): Xiamen (WR DLR), Shanghai, Stockholm, Paris, Lausanne (MR), Chorzów Silesia (WR DLR), Zürich, Brussels (MR)

Progression and World Records

Key:       Lifetime best;   Season's best,   Other world records

Source:

Honours and Awards

• Laureus World Sports Awards
  • Sportsman of the Year (Nominee): 2021, 2023, 2024
• International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Best Athlete of the Year (Men)
  • 2022 (2nd), 2023 (2nd), 2024 (Winner)
• BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards
  • BBC World Sport Star of the Year: 2024
• L'Équipe Champion of Champions
  • Internarional Male Athlete of the Year: 2024 (2nd)
• PAP European Sportsperson of the Year Award
  • 2020 (3rd), 2022 (2nd), 2023 (3rd), 2024 (3rd)
• Forbes 30 under 30
  • North America List - Sports (2025)
• The Swedish Victoria Award (2020)
• Swedish Sports Academy Awards (See: Svenska idrottsgalan)
  • Newcomer of the Year: 2018
  • Sportsman of the Year: 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
  • Performance of the Year: 2019, 2021, 2025
• The Swedish Jerring Award: 2020
• The Swedish Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal: 2020, 2024
• World Athletics Awards
  • Rising Star of the Year (Men): 2018
  • World Athlete of the Year (Men): 2020, 2022, 2023 (Men's field), 2024 (Men's Field)
• European Athletics Awards
  • Rising Star of the Year (Men): 2018
  • European Athlete of the Year (Men): 2022, 2024
  • European Athlete of the Month (Men): Apr 2017, Apr 2019, Feb 2020, Sep 2021, Jun 2022, Jul 2022
• Swedish Athletics Association Awards
  • Stora grabbars märke (or Big Boys Badge): 2019
• Athletics Weekly Readers' Choice Awards
  • International Male Athlete of the Year: 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Mel Watman Award for Performance of the Year: 2024
• Track & Field News Awards
  • World Men's Athlete of the Year: 2000 (MVP), 2022, 2024
• U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Award
  • The Bowerman: 2019 (Finalist)
  • Indoor South Central Field Athlete of the Year: 2019
• 2019 SEC Indoor Track & Field Awards
  • Men's Field Athlete of the Year
  • Men's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year
• 2019 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Awards
  • Men's Field Athlete of the Year
  • Men's Freshman Field Athlete of the Year

See also

In Spanish: Armand Duplantis para niños