“He’s got God’s hand on his back,” American pole vaulter Sam Hendricks said about Mondo Duplantis as Mondo broke the pole vault record for the 8th time in the Xiamen Diamond League. Hendricks stood second behind Mondo in the event where the latter struck a world record with a 6.24m score. The Swedish-American pole vaulter outwitted the 6.23m mark that he had set at the Eugene Diamond League finale in September last year. In a few months, he will set out for his second Olympics with the memory of his Olympic debut in 2020 Tokyo, where he bagged the gold with a massive 6.02m. We don’t know if God’s hands are there, but the inspiration of a pole vault legend surely is.

In a recent conversation, Olympic and two-time world outdoor champion Mondo Duplantis recalled the humble beginning of his dazzling pole vaulting journey. That prominently features the profound impact of a French pole vault legend whom he would face in the competitive arena as a teenager in a few years.

Olympic memories that fueled a young mind

The 8x record breaker, Mondo Duplantis, had just begun his international career as a pole vaulter when he started to face vying from the then-star pole vaulter, Renaud Lavillenie. Lavillenie, who had many international accolades in his name, was a global record holder. With little international exposure, Mondo was just 17 when he faced the French legend for the first time. But just five years before that, Lavillenie’s Olympic performance became the memory that got Mondo forever hooked to the sport. It was watching him win the gold in the 2012 London Olympics and edge an Olympic record back then by 5.97m. Mondo still can not forget the impact it had on his tender mind.

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“I remember watching the Games in London 2012 when Renaud took the title. And I think he was at 5.97m on his last attempt, and that lifted him from third place to first, with an Olympic record. He needed to make it to win, and if he didn’t make it, he’d get third place.”, Duplantis recalled. He added that seeing Renaud Lavillenie clinch the medal live at that time, was a big thing for him as he was just 12 and a big fan of the Frenchman. “That was super-inspiring. It was definitely like an ‘at that moment’ kind of feeling.”, he added.

Taking huge inspiration from the GOAT himself, Duplantis broke Lavillenie’s 6.16m world record that was set in 2014 in Ukraine, by a 6.17m mark during the World Athletics Indoor Tour. Interestingly, all this started from the backyard. “I pole-vaulted mostly in my backyard until I was around 15 years old before I started jumping at the high school and being on the track and stuff,” Mondo recalled.

Alongside, as a budding enthusiast, he “would always make sure to watch the pole vault competitions (during televised major championships)” because he thought “pole vaulting is kind of its own thing in a way”. So, with the delightful memories down his lane, Duplantis has now Paris in sight. Apart from his athletic prowess, he has another weapon with him for success.

Mondo Duplantis’ never-ending quest for betterment

Mondo Duplantis has recently kickstarted his 2024 Olympic season by earning his fourth successive Diamond League title. Alongside, he maintained the legacy if breaking his own record once again. But, it seems that this success does not make him content. Rather, it makes him hungrier. That is probably his sharpest weapon. This was once again evident from his statement after winning the Diamond League.

“I don’t think the jumping was really perfect today even leading up to the 6.24…I think there’s still some way to go and still more to push and some higher heights in me for sure,” Mondo vowed. However, he acknowledged other factors as well.

After soaring high. Mondo stated, “For me to jump a world record, I need everything to be in the right place; I’d never jumped here and I didn’t know what kind of track it was, but obviously it was okay. Still winds, great energy from the crowd: pretty much everything added up to what I needed to jump high today.” With all this, some fireworks are in store in Paris. and that is made even more interesting with one possibility.

Mondo’s idol 37-year-old Lavillenie will also be there looking to represent the host nation for the fourth time in the Olympics! “I’m at the Olympics and being able to win it is fantastic,” Mondo had said after his Tokyo Olympics gold. So can he bring back that fantastic moment in front of his idol? Going by Mondo’s words, “Anything is possible. I’m going to try maximize the most of every day.” The world awaits to witness Mondo storming to the records book, this time in the Parisian arena.