“It’s not easy to do better each time” : Armand Duplantis reflects on his inability to break the world record at the 2024 Diamond League Finals
Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis has broken the world record in pole vaulting three times this year, first time setting the record at 6.24 metres in China, the second time winning the gold at the Paris Olympics, while setting the record at 6.25 metres. Then finally breaking it yet again a few weeks later in a league meet in Poland, the record which now stands at 6.26 metres.
Already considered the greatest pole vaulter of all time at the age of 24, the US born Swede had fans thinking that the world record is about to be broken once again by him in the 2024 Diamond League finals, which he unfortunately failed to do so.
But to nobody’s surprise, Mondo Duplantis won the event comfortably, as he was the only athlete who leaped over the 6-metre mark, finally concluding at 6.11 metres. While this was 0.01 metre better than his previous outing here, the Swedish was not satisfied with the performance personally as he was unable to break or even match the world record he set a few weeks prior.
“The world record wasn’t meant to be tonight” : Mondo Duplantis
The pole vaulter went the whole 2024 season undefeated, as no competitor of his was even close to catching up with him. The 24-year-old basically spent the whole season trying to break his own personal best, which makes it historic in its own way. With the Diamond League done and dusted, this marks one of the greatest track and field seasons ever by an athlete.
After his victory in Brussels, Duplantis reflected on his season and also revealed his legs did not feel good, but with this year’s track and field season almost at its end, he is looking forward to a well-deserved rest and enjoyment.
“My legs felt terrible tonight and I’m just really tired. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks: the race against Karsten and then I had to jump the day after. That took a lot more from my body than I expected. With 6m11 I got a good result, but the world record wasn’t meant to be tonight. It’s not easy to do better each time,” said the pole vaulter (via Wanda Diamond League).
“Now it’s time to celebrate my beautiful season: I will drink some good Belgian beers tonight for sure,” the world record holder added.
Mondo Duplantis achieved some important accolades as well whilst breaking world records, winning the Indoor World Championship for the second time in his career, winning the Diamond League, and also the coveted Olympic gold medal for the second time in a row. While the Swedish could not break his world record in Brussels, it remains only a matter of time when he will go past 6.26 metres, or even more than that.
