LSU’s own is the greatest pole vaulter in the world
Former LSU athlete and Lafayette native Mondo Duplantis won his second straight Olympic gold medal in world-record breaking fashion Monday night in Paris.
Duplantis broke his own world record for a staggering ninth time as Mondo cleared 6.25 meters (20.5 feet) inside a packed Stade de France. Duplantis cleared 6.10 meters to claim the gold from Brazil’s Thiago Braz and then upped the ante by attempting to rewrite the record book. It took him three tries, but on the third time Duplantis broke his own record and embraced his family.
MONDO DUPLANTIS ENDS THE NIGHT WITH A NEW WORLD RECORD. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/0egeRdxphW
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 5, 2024
Duplantis now has two Olympic gold medals to go along with his three world championship titles. I don’t pretend to know a single thing about pole vaulting but based off these numbers I think it’s safe to say Mondo’s the greatest pole vaulter of all time.
Progression of the men’s pole vault world record over the past 20 years
6.25m – Mondo Duplantis – 8/5/2024
6.24m – Mondo Duplantis – 4/20/2024
6.23m – Mondo Duplantis – 9/17/2023
6.22m – Mondo Duplantis – 2/25/2023
6.21m – Mondo Duplantis – 7/24/2022
6.20m -… pic.twitter.com/zdvB6EY1yC— FloTrack (@FloTrack) August 5, 2024
“I haven’t processed how fantastic that moment was,” Duplantis said. “It’s one of those things that don’t really feel real, such an out-of-body experience. It’s still hard to kind of land right now.
“What can I say? I just broke a world record at the Olympics, biggest possible stage for a pole vaulter. The biggest dream since I was a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics, and I’ve been able to do that in front of the most ridiculous crowd I’ve ever competed in front of.”