Last week, jumping in Düsseldorf, Duplantis put the bar at 6.17 m, one cm higher than the record of R. Lavillenie. He missed, on his second attempt, by a hair-breadth and thus during the whole week, while waiting for the Torun competition, there were many references to the "almost world record" of Duplantis. I would have been really disappointed had the matter stayed there. Duplantis could not be just the guy who has threatened the world record. The world record was his to take and he did this in an impressive way in Torun.
After a first jump where he brushed the bar with his thigh on the way up he had an almost perfect second one and passed over the bar, making history.
I have been following Duplantis for quite a few years. He began setting age group records at age seven. If you wish to understand how a 20 years old guy breaks the world record, just watch this video.
Mondo said that he was very happy to succeed R. Lavillenie in the list of world record holders. “Growing up, Renaud was my absolute idol”, he said. “The support he's given me through this whole process too, has been phenomenal”. And Mondo, who began vaulting when he was four years old, added:
“Ever since I was three years old, four years old, this was the goal. I wanted to break the world record. I wanted to win all the gold medals there are to win, but one of the biggest goals, maybe the biggest, was breaking the world record". B. Marsak, writing for World Athletics remarks, "that Duplantis would one day succeed Lavillenie carried an air of inevitability".
What I really liked was the explosion of joy of his co-vaulters. Seeing Duplantis carried on the shoulders of Karalis and Wojciechowski was a great moment.
And when asked whether he can go higher, Duplantis did not hesitate: “Sure. If I feel good, why not go to 6.18?” In fact for somebody with his talent, sky is the limit.
PS. One week later he did just that, jumping a 6.18 m WR.
After a first jump where he brushed the bar with his thigh on the way up he had an almost perfect second one and passed over the bar, making history.
I have been following Duplantis for quite a few years. He began setting age group records at age seven. If you wish to understand how a 20 years old guy breaks the world record, just watch this video.
Mondo said that he was very happy to succeed R. Lavillenie in the list of world record holders. “Growing up, Renaud was my absolute idol”, he said. “The support he's given me through this whole process too, has been phenomenal”. And Mondo, who began vaulting when he was four years old, added:
“Ever since I was three years old, four years old, this was the goal. I wanted to break the world record. I wanted to win all the gold medals there are to win, but one of the biggest goals, maybe the biggest, was breaking the world record". B. Marsak, writing for World Athletics remarks, "that Duplantis would one day succeed Lavillenie carried an air of inevitability".
What I really liked was the explosion of joy of his co-vaulters. Seeing Duplantis carried on the shoulders of Karalis and Wojciechowski was a great moment.
And when asked whether he can go higher, Duplantis did not hesitate: “Sure. If I feel good, why not go to 6.18?” In fact for somebody with his talent, sky is the limit.
PS. One week later he did just that, jumping a 6.18 m WR.
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