Armand Duplantis makes the season premiere.
Then he makes a daring move.
– I feel better than last year, he says.
Armand Duplantis comes from a completely fabulous year. On some long-standing lists, when the 2022 sporting year was summed up, Duplantis was beaten only by Lionel Messi as the world’s best male athlete. That’s how superior Duplantis is, and much suggests that it will continue in the coming season as well.
“I feel better than last year”
Duplantis broke a total of three world records last season, and the big highlight of the season came during the World Cup. He then won his very first gold medal in the championship, and he also held up to the pressure as he broke a new world record as well. Duplantis also won all but one event last year, which speaks volumes for his incredible level.
On Thursday, Duplantis makes its season premiere, when the world elite in pole vaulting comes to Uppsala, to compete in Mondo’s own competition. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with Duplanti’s form, even though it has been months since he last competed.
– I feel great, better than last year. I know what form I need to break the world record, he tells SVT.
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Cocky performance
Armand Duplantis says that he mainly trained on speed during the “vacation”. He doesn’t need much training in the pole vault itself, but the speed can take him to new heights.
– It helps when I get faster, I can grip the rod a little higher and use a stiffer rod, so “speed” is always good, he says.
So what does Armand Duplantis think about his upcoming season? You might think the verdict is cautious, after a year that should be pretty much impossible to beat, but it’s not. He gets a question about how many world records he will break – and then answers completely cocky:
– I have no idea, but I hope I can hit more than last year. Then it was three, so I hope for more than that.
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