Mondo Duplantis closed the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with another astonishing performance and did what he does best. That is rewriting his own world record yet again. He cleared 6.30 meters to capture his third consecutive world title on September 15, thrilling the crowd inside the National Stadium. With gold already secured, Duplantis took three attempts at the new height, brushing the bar twice before sailing cleanly over it on his final jump. Moments later, he struck a Shohei Ohtani pose to the delight of the Tokyo crowd. But now as it appears, fans seem to want to witness more of his entertaining side. 

Right after the Tokyo showdown, Duplantis added, “I am so happy, I cannot explain it.” He continued, “I feel the only way to leave Japan was to set the world record. That was my mentality.” For Mondo, it was just another night of soaring confidence and flawless execution, and a spectacle as he made the 14th world record of his career. And yet, in the days following his Tokyo triumph, fans began asking for something even more daring.

It all began from an unlikely source. The college football field in Utah. ‘Cosmo the Cougar’, the official mascot of the BYU Cougars, already has the habit of setting social media ablaze with his stunts and tricks. But this weekend, on October 4, he performed a fiery feat during a football game. Dressed in his full all-blue mascot suit, Cosmo ignited a high hurdle stand and then leapt cleanly over it, landing smoothly on the other side.

Cosmo the Cougar, showing off his victorious move, posted the clip on X with the caption, “Add this to the list of things I make look easy.” The post obviously did not take long to capture the attention of netizens. And before long, track and field outlet Citius Mag reshared the video with a playful challenge. Mentioning their demand in the caption, they wrote, “Need to see Mondo Duplantis do this.”

If Mondo Duplantis pulls this off, then the World Athletics Championship director will have to work out some budget cuts for this year’s Christmas party and Puma will have to figure out a new way to confer bonuses upon him since this would be a flaming pole he’d have to cross. That single line from Chris Chavez’s magazine was enough to ignite a wave of reactions. Fans were already imagining how Duplantis might handle the flaming hurdle. After all, we are talking about an athlete who treats every competition as a showdown.

After the Tokyo win, Duplantis declared how he seems content to enjoy his latest record, saying simply, “I don’t know what is next for me at this moment. I don’t care. I will just enjoy this right now.” But the fans, as ever, already seem to have a few ideas for Duplantis to win their hearts yet again.

Fans want Mondo Duplantis to match BYU mascot’s fiery leap in Track and Field

One fan commented, “All jokes aside, y’all see how entertaining Track and FIELD can be? @RedbirdFB @ISURedbirds Half time collabs??? 👉🏾👈🏾🫶🏾” . They simply highlighted how Duplantis’ sport indeed has a lot to offer. Though track and field is not as popular among the crowd as football or basketball, the fan suggested the hidden potential and thrill that track and field has. And the fact that an element from the track and field showmanship merged with football to pull off this amazing spectacle during a halftime show indeed proves the same.

Another netizen who wrote “Make track and field sick again” pointed at a sentiment that Duplantis’ record-breaking performances and the ensuing online buzz have revived the sport’s appeal and has delivered the sport to many who were unaware of its glitz and glamour. Once viewed as technical and niche, pole vaulting now generates mass engagement. And indeed, we can give the Swedish star his flowers.

Amidst the demands of fans, one American track and field Olympic medalist, too, could not keep calm watching the stunt. Vernon Norwood immediately tagged Mondo and commented, “@mondohoss600 LOCK IN 🤣🫵🏾”. After all who would not want his sport to gain the popularity it truly deserves?

Another comment read, “That’s one way to increase track viewership.” The X user directly linked the flaming hurdle video and Duplantis’ global popularity to audience engagement. Duplantis’ athletic prowess already acts as an entertainment magnet, drawing in casual viewers who might not typically follow track events. And now, fans believe that such an addition would just add more fuel to the fire.

“As a previous pole vaulter, this is impressive. Never tried a backflip on my dismount,” added another football fan. They connected the mascot’s personal experience to the viral clip’s difficulty. Cosmo the Cougar seemingly has received professional training in pole vaulting, which might have just made the stunt easier for him.