Armand Duplanti’s big disappointment despite the new win – hasn’t been worse in three (!) years: “Extra bad feeling”

Armand Duplantis won his own gala in Uppsala.
But he wasn’t happy about it – and he’s in his worst form in three(!) years.
– It will be an extra bad feeling, he says.

Armand Duplantis had brought the entire world elite in pole vaulting to Uppsala for his own gala, and expectations were high. Last season there were two new world records for Mondo, who had hopes of raising his own dream limit again at home. But that did not happen.

Big disappointment

When Duplantis won the first competition of the year, he did it in 5.80. In Uppsala he won again, for the second week in a row, but this time he didn’t get over six meters either. Instead, it was a victory jump of “only” 5.92, and that is actually unusually bad for Mondo. In fact, he hasn’t jumped two straight competitions under six meters since spring 2021(!).

And Duplantis himself could not hide that he was disappointed afterwards.

– I’m still a little disappointed but I’m trying to be as positive as I can. It was a wonderful competition and everyone did great in my own gala and I can’t take a victory for granted, says Duplantis to SVT.

“Extra bad feeling”

For Duplantis, it is important to deliver when he is competing at home, and before the competition he had promised a show.

– It gets an extra bad feeling when I jump like that in front of them in Uppsala. But I survive and am just a little angry, says Duplantis.

Armand Duplantis has a little difficulty putting his finger on what is not working right now. He has tested new, stiffer poles, which should make it possible to jump higher. But the approach has not been right.

– I don’t jump badly that often when I run well on the approach, but today I couldn’t control everything and it’s a complicated discipline. There is a lot that you have to check apart from the approach, says Mondo.