PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Armand Duplanti’s biggest dream is to set a world record at his favorite venue, the Stockholm Stadium.
He hopes to do so in the Diamond League gala tomorrow.
– If the weather is warm and not so windy, it could be a world record, he says.
He improved his pole vault world record to 6.24 in the outdoor premiere in Xiamen, China in April. After a six-meter jump in the second Diamond League competition in China has Mondo Duplantis trained until now.
He withdrew from the Diamond League competition in Oslo last Thursday to instead come well prepared to his absolute favorite arena – where he would most like to set a world record.
– It is at the top of the list. Of course I want to do it at any Olympics, but at an arena it’s the Stockholm stadium, he says at the press conference before Sunday’s Diamond League gala.
– It will almost be like a championship feeling for me (in Stockholm). I put a lot of pressure on myself just because I want to perform well here in front of the Swedish people, and jump as high as I can. But I like the pressure to be high, it’s just because it means a lot to me.
The favorite competition
He says that he is “big-tagged” and that the gala in Stockholm is his favorite competition. He also says that there are conditions for jumping high in Stockholm, that the approach track is fast enough.
– It is at a level to jump as high as possible. It’s just the weather that you never know here in Sweden and Stockholm.
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The main memory from last year is probably not so much about jumping as about the weather – rain and cold. So much rain that the pole vaulters refused to start, for safety reasons, but the competition had to be postponed for two hours. Duplantis won, of course – at 6.05. He also tested the then world record height of 6.23 and despite the crowd sitting in the cold to cheer him on to greatness, no record was set.
Better from pressure
The conditions for a record jump look very good for Sunday, with sun and warmth and lighter wind.
– There are, of course, several things that are beyond my control. I just focus on myself and will jump as high as I can and take what the day gives me, he says.
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The 24-year-old says that with the success he got used to other people’s expectations.
– I don’t focus so much on what everyone else expects of me. I want to jump high, and what I want to do matters the most. If I come second tomorrow, I will be angry with myself. My expectations are at the level I’m at and I’ve gotten used to the pressure. It just makes me better.
READ MORE: Great news for Melwin Lycke Holm, who joins Armand Duplantis and Daniel Ståhl in the Swedish EC squad
Mondo at the Stadium:
2018, Diamond League: 5.86 meters.
2019, Finnkampen: 6.00.
2020, Diamond League: 6.01.
2022, Diamond League: 6.16.
2023, Diamond League: 6.05.
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