PHOTO: Bildbyrån
He is by far the best pole vaulter in the world right now.
But now Armand Duplantis opens up about the hatred from his home country of the United States.
– I know how I feel about the USA and that has never changed, he says to the Spanish newspaper Marca.
There is no one who can stop Armand Duplantis currently. To simply call him the “world’s best pole vaulter” feels too silly for someone who completely dominates the sport and wrote himself into the history books forever.
Duplanti’s greatness
“Mondo” has conquered the world and is well on its way to erasing the icon Sergey Bubka from the history of sports. The young Swede has already won everything there is to win and has broken the world record several times, even though he is only 24 years old.
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Duplantis has barely lost a pole vault competition in years and this summer another big gold medal awaits him. The Swede is once again the favorite for his second straight Olympic gold when the Olympic Games come to Paris.
“A Traitor”
But as the whole world watches, he is once again reminded of the hatred from his home country of the United States. In the acclaimed documentary film “Born to Fly” about Mondo’s own life, there is a scene where he sits in the car and listens to people who say he is a traitor because he chose the United States.
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Now Duplantis, with a Swedish mother and an American father, is fighting back against the harsh criticism against him. After he left the US for Sweden as a teenager.
– I can understand that reaction when I chose to compete for Sweden, because according to many, you give up your American passport then. But I know how I feel about the United States and that has never changed, he says in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Marca.
READ MORE: Armand Duplanti’s completely honest words before this summer’s Olympics – reveals his unexpected goal: “Of course I want to…”
Armand Duplantis holds no grudge against the Americans and does not let the harsh words affect him.
– I love the United States and I have great respect for the country that I grew up in. So in that way, nothing has changed and I am not at all concerned about that criticism. Above all, it exists most when the Olympics are approaching, because we are talking about a sport that is not a high priority in the USA compared to many other sports. People only care about athletics when it’s time for the Olympics, he told the Spanish newspaper.
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