The crowd at Japan National Stadium cheered out loud when Mondo Duplantis soared to a breathtaking 6.30 meters. Family, coaches, fans, and rivals watched in stunned awe as he defied gravity once more to set a world record for the 14th time. Not only did he receive a standing ovation from the 53000 spectators in the stadium, but 8.27 million Swedish fans also rooted for the 25-year-old through their screens. Now, almost three weeks later, the pole vaulter joined his Swedish fandom to celebrate his iconic World Championships win.

After winning his career’s third straight World Championship gold, it was therefore time for a new visit to Dalarna in Sweden. Back in Duplantis’ mom’s hometown of Avesta, Sweden, celebrations erupted as he set yet another record. In front of the locals, the world-record pole vaulter marked his achievement beside the world’s largest Dala horse, usually just a quirky tourist attraction, now proudly linked to the pole vault king. Since 2020, when Mondo first cleared 6.17m to break the world record, the horse has displayed its height for comparison. The bar is raised for each world record the star takes.

The bar now proudly showcases his latest leap: 6.30m. “I’m actually a bit scared of heights when there’s not a mat underneath,” he says as he etched his name yet again on the board.

The athlete didn’t just retain his World Championship title; he firmly stamped his place among the all-time greats. In the qualification rounds on September 13th, the Swede soared through 5.75 meters with ease, securing his spot in the finals. Brimming with confidence, he hinted at his ambition to surpass his own 6.29m world record set at the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest in August. When the finals arrived, in front of a roaring, massive crowd, Duplantis remained composed, even as he watched his rivals raise the stakes.

“His execution is poetry in motion,” praised British Olympic pole vaulter Kate Rooney, and that sentiment couldn’t be truer after Duplantis’ back-to-back record-breaking feats. Interestingly, Duplantis even expressed his gratitude to the fans present at the stadium, and how he felt surreal while performing in front of them.

Mondo Duplantis shared his elation of performing in front of jam packed stadium

Back in 2021, during the Tokyo Olympics Duplantis settled for the gold medal that time and missed the world record. The difference, he suspected, was the energy missing during those silent Games, as due to COVID-19 restrictions, there were no fans present at the Japan National Stadium.

However, this time, there was noise and loud cheers. The spectators were clapping in rhythm every time Duplantis lined up. Hence, when he clinched the victory, the 25-year-old owed his win to the fans in the stadium and stated, “To be able to enjoy this world record with them and give them that is super special.” He added, “Especially considering the last time I was in this stadium, we didn’t have any spectators. It was spooky and eerie and super weird, and not very fun, honestly.”

In fact, after clearing 6.10, for instance, he imitated Japanese baseball Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki’s pre-bat sleeve-tugging routine. “My brother was in the crowd and he plays baseball, so I was trying to fire him up,” Duplantis said. “And the Japanese people, if they understood it, it was just something fun.”

With thus, the season ended for Mondo Duplantis in Japan with double glory for the pole vault maestro, who had already shattered the world record three times earlier, one of those unforgettable jumps coming right near his home at Stockholm Stadium. And now, the 25-year-old looks to add more milestones to his already impressive resume.