“Mondo” Duplantis Shatters World Record, Defends Gold Medal, As Sam Kendricks Soars To Silver

SAINT-DENIS France — Armand “Mondo” Duplantis raised the roof at Stade de France.  The stadium may still be shaking.

“Mondo” Duplantis skyrocketed to a new pole vault world record of 6.25m/20-6 on his third and final attempt at just past 10:15 p.m. Paris time. His ninth world record came shortly after he had also soared to a new Olympic record of 6.10m (20 feet).

It was simply a magical and magnificent performance. A gold medal too, his second consecutive, as Sam Kendricks took silver, in the daring, high-flying event, at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“It’s hard to understand honestly – if I don’t beat this moment in my career, then I’m pretty ok with that,” Duplantis told Team USA, after the incredible world-record performance. “I don’t think you can get much better with what just happened. It’s dang amazing. I’m a happy man.”

Mondo’s world record attempt was slightly delayed, as Noah Lyles once again darted around the track after receiving his 100-meter gold medal towards the end of the night. Duplantis waited patiently, focused once again, and delivered.

“To jump a world record, you pretty much have to be perfect,” he said. “Honestly, I wanted to be as free as I could. I had nothing to lose. I hit it really good.”

Duplantis became the first pole vaulter to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals since “The Reverend” Bob Richards went back-to-back for the U.S. in 1952 and 1956.

Kendricks was the nearest challenger to the Swedish sensation, vaulting a season-best 5.95m, to win silver and add to his bronze medal from eight years ago, at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

“This medal was joyous – tonight was lovely, it was everything that I thought an Olympics should be,” a smiling and media-friendly Kendricks said. “The night on the track was special.”

The 24-year-old Swedish-American pole vault superstar astounded, defying gravity, and all sense of what the human body should be able do, launching skyward into the French night on a flexible fiberglass pole, time-after-time, and with ease.

“I hate that we lost him to Sweden, I wish we could get him back to American one of these days,” Kendricks says, half-jokingly, about Duplantis, who grew partially in Louisiana and part-time in Sweden, as a dual citizen.

It seemed like ages prior to his records – his Olympic record on his first attempt, and the world record on number three – that Duplantis locked up his second consecutive Olympic gold medal, after Kendricks bid adieu to the three-hour competition following three unsuccessful attempts at 6.00m.

For the 31-year-old American from Oxford, Mississippi, his silver medal comes eight years after he won his first Olympic medal – a bronze medal at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.

“At the end of the day, I’m on the track, I’m bleeding, and the end of the story is Mondo set the world record, but I snared myself a silver medal along the way,” Kendricks said, showing his hand to reporters, while referring to spiking his hand on his first 6.00m attempt.

Kendricks' stellar performance is redemption, coming three years after he was sent into quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test at Tokyo 2020, forcing the six-time U.S. national champion to miss the Olympic pole vault competition in Japan.

“A great man once told me that you don’t go to the Olympics to win,” Kendricks said. “You go to represent. Team USA, we fight for the privilege just to wear this flag. It’s a hard-fought privilege. Tokyo (2020) hurts.

Kendricks found himself behind eight ball after he missed an awkward-looking first try at 5.85m. As Duplantis and four of his buddies and competitors sailed over the height, the two-time world champion was forced to pass the height and take his chances at 5.90m. He stood in sixth place, with a large hill to climb.

“It’s a risk-based event – you have to kind of guess what is going to happen in the end because your efforts in the beginning make such an impact,” Kendricks explained.

“Making a pass is actually a move I pulled eight years ago in Rio – I missed 5.75m on my first attempt and passed to 5.85m, clearing it on a first because I knew my next jump would be a good one and put me in medal position.”

Lightning strikes twice – and it did in Rio and Paris. The resilient veteran athlete rebounded quickly as the first to clear 5.90m, jumping back into the silver medal position and Mondo passed, not wanting to over exert his energy on an 80-degree Monday evening.

Kendricks, once seemingly down-and-out, then launched a season-best vault of 5.95m. He dashed off the pits, tearing into a sprint, and celebrating euphorically.

“I had to pull off one more Herculean effort at 5.95 to seal the deal and put real pressure on, ‘Mannouli’ because then we had to go to 6, and it’s a real dogfight,” Kendricks said, referring to Greek bronze medalist Emmananouli Karalis.

What a spectacular and memorable night for Mondo, Kendricks, Karalis and the tight-knit fraternity of brothers that fearlessly launch themselves skyward. Sixty-nine thousand fans in Stade de France danced – the joint was jumping as ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ blared throughout, feel-good music from the popular 80’s band from Sweden, an appropriate touch to honor the rock star pole vaulter.

“There were a lot of Swedish flags out there in the stands among the 70,000 – I felt more love and support than I could have ever imagined,” Duplantis said. “I’m going to enjoy the heck out of this one tonight, you don’t have to worry about that.”

As pole vaulters often say ‘the sky is the limit’ – and it certainly was in Paris thanks to Mondo, Kendricks and Karalis. The Duplantis dynasty is alive and well, and it appears most certain that it will only get faster, stronger, and definitely higher.