Mondo Duplantis: Why Swedish Pole Vaulter Breaks World Record by 1cm at a Time

Mondo Duplantis: Why Swedish Pole Vaulter Breaks World Record by 1cm at a Time

  • Mondo Duplantis has been shattering world records since 2020 and has won two Olympic gold medals and two world titles
  • The Swedish pole vault superstar has smashed the world record 10 times and is still only 24
  • His world record progression started at 6.17 metres, and he recently took it to 6.26 metres after adding another centimetre

Barely a month after the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Swedish pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis smashed his world record for the 10th time on August 25 in Silesia, Poland.

The Swede won a second gold medal and broke the world record at the Olympic Games.

One thing that has stood out in Duplantis' record-breaking run is he always breaks it by 1 centimetre at a time.

Mondo Duplantis is already one of the greatest pole vaulters ever
Mondo Duplantis is one of the most consistent track and field athletes in the world. Photo by Patrick Smith.
Source: UGC

The 24-year-old cleared 6.25 metres at the Olympics and then followed it up by clearing 6.26m in Poland, which earned him a $10,000 cheque and a 14-carat gold, diamond champion ring, per World Athletics.

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Duplantis smashed the world record for the first time in February 2020. He cleared 6.17m, breaking Renaud Lavillenie's record of 6.16m set in 2014.

He has been breaking his won mark for 1cm at a time, and since it's always the last event in a meet, he always puts on a show.

Duplantis has a way to go to match Sergey Bubka's run of 17 world records, per World Athletics.

The Swede has won two Olympic gold medals and two world titles. If he continues at this pace, he has a chance to become the greatest pole vaulter ever.

Why Duplantis breaks WR by 1cm

The two-time Olympic champion has only broken the world record by 1cm at a time.

Many fans have noticed Duplantis only breaks the record by 1cm at a time and wonder why that is so.

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Apparently, the Swedish star breaks the world record by 1cm to earn a bonus of $100,000, according to Forbes. Therefore, every time he breaks a world record, he earns $100,000.

With three Diamond League meets left, Duplantis could add another world record to conclude the season ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

He earned $50,000 for winning gold in Paris and will earn $30,000 if he wins the Diamond League final.

Athletics records that may never fall

YEN.com.gh earlier listed world records in athletics that may never be broken.

The men's 100m by Usain Bolt has stood for 15 years and will likely stand for a while. The women's 100m has also stood since 1988.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Richard Nutakor avatar

Richard Nutakor (Sports Editor) Richard Kekeli is a digital media enthusiast with over 8 years of working experience in media and digital. He's worked with notable media brands in Ghana like Media General, owners of TV3 Ghana, 3FM, Onua FM & Connect FM. He's also worked with Global Media Alliance as a Digital Account Manager. He obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Ghana in 2016 and a Masters in Brands and Communication Management from the University of Professional Studies, Accra. Email: richard.kekeli@sportsbrief.com

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