Armand Duplantis had spat, considered pulling out, and only managed 5.82.
Then rival Sam Kendricks did something surprising.
– I don’t know why he actually did it, says Mondo.
Armand Duplantis went to Zurich partly to compete in the Diamond League, but above all to face Karsten Warholm in a 100-meter race. There was a win against the Norwegian there, and when Mondo entered his “real” competition less than 24 hours later, he was unrecognizable.
Won at modest height
Afterwards, Duplantis’ manager Daniel Wessfeldt revealed that Duplantis was up half the night spitting, and that he was even considering pulling out of the competition. It was also raining and cold in the air, which did not directly make it optimal conditions for a pole vault competition.
Armand Duplantis managed 5.82, as did rival Sam Kendricks. Duplantis was probably very happy about Kendrick’s decision to skip the 5.92 – to go to the 6.02 instead. Duplantis had trouble gaining height, tearing his first two attempts. But Kendricks also had difficulties, and he pulled away at the height which meant that Mondo, without skipping his third attempt, won the competition.
The surprise of the rival
The winning height was thus written at 5.82 – a very modest result for Duplantis and thus more than 40 centimeters lower than his personal best (and world record). It’s the first time this outdoor season that Duplantis has won under six meters, and maybe it would have been different if Kendricks only cleared 5.92, thus forcing Mondo to clear that height as well. Mondo was surprised by his rival’s decision.
– Sam only wanted to move to six metres. I just thought it gives me a better chance, he has to get six meters to beat me. I don’t know why he did it actually. For me, the body wasn’t quite there and the weather wasn’t so nice either. For me it was perfectly fine, he says to Expressen.
Armand Duplantis believes that Kendricks was simply trying to pressure him – but that it had the opposite effect.
– Yes, in a way. But it helped me instead. When he said he wanted to go to six meters, I said one hundred percent. Let’s drive, he says.
Sign up for our newsletter
Share