Paris, France — In a stunning display of athleticism and dominance, Sweden’s Armand Duplantis has rewritten the record books at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 24-year-old pole vaulting prodigy set a new world record with a remarkable vault of 6.25 meters, capturing his second consecutive Olympic gold medal and solidifying his status as the sport’s preeminent star.
Duplantis, who was born in the United States and has been celebrated as a rock star of athletics by World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, demonstrated his unparalleled skills by surpassing his previous world record. This victory marks the first time in 68 years that a vaulter has won back-to-back Olympic titles, a feat last achieved by Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956.
The Swedish sensation has been virtually unbeatable over the past five years, with a string of major titles that include the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold, back-to-back World Championships in 2022 and 2023, and multiple European Championship victories. Duplantis’s new world record in Paris is his ninth successive improvement of the mark, showcasing his extraordinary consistency and skill.
In addition to his Olympic and World Championship successes, Duplantis has set the world record multiple times in recent years, breaking it twice in 2020, three times in 2022, and again twice in 2023. His most recent record was set in April at the Xiamen Diamond League meet.
Duplantis, who has been coached by his father Greg since childhood, continues to thrive under the pressure of being the top pole vaulter in the world. “Every competition I go to, I’m going to be a big favorite. It is what it is,” he said. “I go into every competition trying to jump as high as I possibly can.”
From his early days vaulting in his backyard with a homemade pole vault apparatus, Duplantis’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable. By the age of 17, he had already surpassed his father’s personal best. His breakthrough came in 2018 when he won the European outdoor title with a world junior record vault of 6.05 meters.
Despite a minor setback at the Doha World Championships in 2019, Duplantis’s career has been defined by his dominance and precision. His new world record vault is now a significant 9 centimeters higher than the previous best set by France’s Renaud Lavillenie. The only other vaulter to have surpassed the 6-meter mark recently is American Chris Nilsen, who was absent from the Paris Olympics.
At the packed Stade de France, Duplantis’s performance was a masterclass in pole vaulting, thrilling the crowd and pushing the boundaries of the sport. His ability to raise the bar and inspire the audience has cemented his place as one of the greatest vaulters of all time.
As Duplantis continues to set new records and achieve new heights, his legacy in the world of athletics is already firmly established.
