He has been described as the athlete to take over the mantle of track and field’s greatest star from Usain Bolt. And at the Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, Armand Duplantis showed why fans are excited about what the 20-year-old might achieve.
Last weekend in Poland, the US-born Swede cleared 6.17 meters in the pole vault to set a new world record. Then on Saturday, he broke his own mark with a 6.18 meter vault on his first attempt.
The second feat earned Duplantis, who has chosen to represent his mother’s native Sweden, a $30,000 bonus.
The son of a former elite American pole vaulter, Duplantis has been vaulting since 3. His family home in Louisiana had a pole vault pit in the back garden.
A former child phenomenon, he holds world records at every age level from under 7 to under 12, while by 18 he had cleared 6 meters. It is little wonder he is being tipped for great things.
“There are a lot of reasons why this event is so complicated and so many things go into making a good jump,” Duplantis, whose nickname is Mondo, told BBC Sport.
“So many years of hard work go into this, but when you do it right it seems simple.
“Safe to say I feel good, I feel fast and strong on the runway. I’m excited for the outdoor season, and the Olympics is where I want to be the best.”
