The pole vault legend heads into the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, full of confidence, and here he explains why.
Mondo Duplantis believes he can improve his pole vault world record after recently changing his running to a new, stiffer pole.
26 years old Improved his world record to 6.31m at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala Last week and this coming weekend, he will aim to win his fourth world championship title in Torun, Poland.
He says he used the same pole for all his world records, from 6.20m to 6.30m, but switched to a new tool for the Uppsala competition.
“There was always a harder pole that I could never get it to work,” he says, “but last weekend I managed to get it to work. I also made a slight change to my run and was able to add some extra power to the jump.
“It was good and exciting and I think this will be the next step for me in the future. With this new pole, I’m sure I’ll have some more good races.”
He adds that the new, longer 22-step round feels “a little alien” to me, but he’s excited to see how it works in the coming months.
Duplantis’ first ever world record was set in Toruń 2020 when he surpassed Renaud Lavillenie’s mark of 6.17m. He now returns to the Polish city this week, aiming for new heights and more gold.
He says: “Torun is a very special place for me because I set my first world record there. I have set a few but the first one is very life changing as you go from non world record holder to world record holder.
“It will be really special to come back. I’m really excited about it, especially after what I was able to do in Uppsala right now.”
What memories does he have of that day in Torun six years ago? “I knew I was in really good shape and in a good headspace,” he says. “I had a really good first meet in Dusseldorf where I had a good shot at 6.17m so I thought it would be possible in Torun and I had a lot of confidence.
“It was really loud and full of energy and I was obviously jumping really well. I remember the late Sean Barber, World Champion 2015was there and he gave me a little hint. he felt I needed to raise my hand a little and I trusted him, so it was quite special. We had good memories with Sean and he helped me get over that bar.”
In addition to Torun, Duplantis has already signed up for several Diamond League matches this summer. These include: Paris, Doha, Keqiao, London and Silesia.
Duplantis is now 38 games unbeaten. But he never takes victory for granted.
“You can never be overconfident and underestimate your opponents,” he says. “When I jump well, I know I’m the best, but I still have a lot of respect for the opposition.
“There’s really no slacking off. I always have to bring my A game. It is never “given” to me. Even when I make good jumps, it takes a lot of effort.”
