Armand Duplantis gave it three good attempts, but it did not become a new world record.
Now Mondo reveals the truth about the jump – and that only makes the performance even more impressive.
– I was actually surprised, he says.
Armand Duplantis is getting in shape for this summer’s Olympics, and he undeniably seems to have something very special going on. The superstar has already broken his own world record once this season, and on Tuesday he made his first race since that race in China in April.
Won by far
Thus, Duplantis hadn’t competed in a month, but he wasn’t exactly ring-rusty when he entered the Zlatan tretra competition in Ostrava, Czech Republic, at a height of 5.62. Duplantis had already won the competition at 5.82, when no competitor managed 5.72. Duplantis then set the bar at 6.00 and cleared that height on the third attempt.
As Mondo always does, he then chose to set the bar at 6.25, which would have meant a new world record. Duplanti’s first two attempts were never close, but on the third it was much more exciting. Duplantis did a cannon jump, but touched the bar with his belly on the way down to the mat, causing the bar to fall.
“Was actually surprised”
Armand Duplantis had expected it to be a challenge, as he did not have the right pole with him for such a high altitude. Nevertheless, Mondo was so incredibly close, which makes the feat even more impressive.
– I was actually surprised that it was so close. I didn’t have my max pole, so I knew if this was going to work, I’d have to do my best jump ever by far. And it was a very good jump, says Duplantis according to SVT.
The next time Armand Duplantis competes is on Sunday, when the Diamond League gala is held in Stockholm. Many of the world’s best pole vaulters are present, unlike the competition yesterday, where several of Mondo’s biggest competitors were not present.
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