Armand Duplantis is one of the greatest pole vaulters of all-time, breaking his own world record on several occasions in recent times - most recently at a Diamond League meeting in Silesia in August 2024.
Having won the gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Duplantis extended his world record to 6.26m, one centimetre higher than his previous best height.
This marked the third time Duplantis has broken the pole vault world record this season and the 10th time in history, meaning he holds the 10 highest successful efforts in the event.
Who Is Mondo Duplantis?
Armand Gustav Duplantis was born in Lafayette in the US state of Louisiana on November 10th, 1999.
Born to an American father, Greg, and a Swedish mother, Helena, his destiny always seemed nailed-on to lie in athletics given that both were professional athletes.
| Per year | €734,632 | £617,361 |
| Per month | €61,219 | £51,446 |
| Per week | €14,127 | £11,871 |
| Per day | €2,012 | £1,690 |
| Per hour | €83 | £69 |
| Per minute | €1 | £0 |
Greg was a pole vaulter who competed internationally. Helena was a heptathlete who represented her country in major championships.
Add to this a grandfather who ran a local athletics club, and two older brothers and a younger sister who were also sport obsessed and was it any wonder that Armand spent every weekend as a child trying out different pursuits and excelling in every one of them?
Nobody though could have possibly predicted just how good he would be at one in particular.
A Pole Vault GOAT
By his teenage years the future superstar had settled on following in his father’s footsteps, with pole vaulting his main passion, and perhaps this should not have come as a surprise.
When he was just three years old his family set up a small frame in their backyard and to their amazement he cleared it.
Thirteen years later, Armand was named the Louisiana Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year and soon after that came the 2015 World Youth Championships, held that year in Colombia.
On entering this, Armand had a decision to make, one that would define his career from that point on.
Holding a dual citizenship, would he travel to South America representing America or Sweden? For reasons that will be explained, he opted for his mother’s heritage.
He returned a week later as the Under 18 World Champion and there followed a series of milestones that had many in the know tipping him for the very top.
He smashed an indoor junior record. He became the Under 20 World Champion. In only his second season as a professional athlete, Armand cleared six metres.
That prompted headlines around the globe and remarkably just four days later he broke the world record, jumping 6.17m in Poland. A week after that he increased it by a centimetre.
Should we fast-forward to the present we find a reigning Olympic champion, World Champion, and world record holder, breaking his own personal best – which by default is the best ever achieved in the sport – on eight occasions.
He most recently did so in Xiamen, China last April, clearing 6.24m on a first attempt.
By every metric, and according to every expert in his field, Armand Duplantis is the greatest pole vaulter in history, a phenomenon no less, which just leaves one small detail to address.
Why is he called ‘Mondo’?
When growing up a friend of his father would refer to him as such, because it sounded like his name and because it translated in the man’s native Italian as ‘world’.
In his discipline, Mondo has conquered it several times over with potentially even greater things to come.
How Much Is Mondo Duplantis Worth?
It may be tempting to believe that any internationally renowned athlete, at the very pinnacle of their sport, would be an extremely wealthy individual. Indeed, this is true of most popular pursuits.
Regrettably, this applies less to athletics that sees its leading stars well remunerated but nothing like on the scale witnessed in football, basketball, Formula One, etc.
In fact, even in track and field there is a financial hierarchy, with sprinters leading the way with a far superior earning power.
This is illustrated well by the latest ‘rich list’ for track and field stars that was published in February 2024.
The top four wealthiest individuals are all sprinters, with Usain Bolt aptly miles ahead of everybody else, with a fortune totalling $30m. All of the top ten are runners over various distances.
Mondo Duplantis is nowhere to be seen on the list.
With an exclusive deal with Puma however rumoured to top £800,000, and via a recent collaboration with Red Bull, the greatest pole vaulter of his, or any, generation has an estimated net worth just shy of $2m.
Duplantis can further increase his international profile – and by extension, his earning power – this summer at the Paris Olympics. The online betting has him extremely short-priced to add a second gold medal to his collection.
Why Sweden?
The athletics legend is said to drive a Swedish Polestar car and has spent years learning his mother’s first language, all to show the Scandinavian nation how sincere he is to proudly fly their flag at major events.
The question though is, why them, and not the country where he was born and raised?
The answer is two-fold.
Firstly, when initially competing abroad at junior level it was deemed necessary for Duplantis to take part in trials, should he wish to wear an American vest.
It didn’t matter what results he was getting elsewhere. One bad day at a trial and his spot would be given to someone else. The youngster disagreed with this process.
Additionally, track and field is far more popular in Scandinavia than in America where it remains a peripheral pastime.
This summer the USA are favourites in the football betting to win the soccer, and a multitude of their athletics are favourites in their individual disciplines, from sprinting to swimming.
America will duly take great satisfaction in every victory, with some even making it to the front page of their newspapers.
As soon as the competition ends however, athletics will largely be forgotten about, the country returning to its usual trio of obsessions: American Football, basketball and baseball.
Social Media
By all accounts a decent, grounded guy, Mondo has nearly 600,000 followers on Instagram and 30,000 on Twitter, where he posts seldomly.
On the former, he mixes photos of his sporting achievements with posed shots alongside his model girlfriend Desire Inglander.
The pair were recently termed a ‘power couple’ by Vogue Scandinavia.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
