Pole vault legend heads to the World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, full of confidence and here he explains why.
Mondo Duplantis believes he can take his pole vault world record even higher after changing his run-up recently and switching to a new stiffer pole.
The 26-year-old improved his world record to 6.31m at the Mondo Classic in Uppsala last week and this coming weekend will be aiming to win his fourth world indoor title in Toruń, Poland.
He says he used the same pole for all of his world records from 6.20m to 6.30m but switched to a new implement for the Uppsala competition.
“There was always one stiffer pole that I could never make it work,” he says, “but this past weekend I was able to make it work. I also made a little bit of a change in my run up and I was able to add some kind of extra energy into the take off.
“It was nice 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 competitions.”
He adds that a longer new run-up with 22 steps feels “a little alien to me”, but he’s excited to see how it works in coming months.
Duplantis’ first-ever world record came in Toruń in 2020 when he broke Renaud Lavillenie’s mark with 6.17m. He now returns to the Polish town this week aiming for new heights and more gold.
He says: “Toruń is a very special place for me as I set my first world record there. I’ve set a few but the first is a very life changing moment as you go from not the world record-holder to being the world record-holder.
“To be back is going to be really special. I’m really excited for it, especially after what I was able to do just now in Uppsala.”
What memories does he have from that day in Toruń six years ago? “I knew I was in really good shape and in a good head space,” he says. “I’d had a really good first meet in Dusseldorf where I’d had a good shot at 6.17m so I thought it would be possible in Toruń and I had plenty of confidence.
“It was really loud and full of energy and I was clearly jumping really well. I remember the late Shawn Barber, the world champion in 2015, was there and he gave me a little tip – he felt I should raise my grip a bit and I trusted him, so that was quite special. We had some good memories with Shawn and he helped me get over that bar.”
Toruń aside, Duplantis has already signed up to compete at several Diamond League meetings this summer. They include: Paris, Doha, Keqiao, London and Silesia.
Duplantis has now gone 38 competitions without losing. But he never takes victory for granted.
“You can never be too overconfident and underestimate your opponents,” he says. “When I’m jumping well I know that I’m the best but I still have a lot of respect for the opposition.
“There’s no slacking off really. I always have to bring my A game. It’s never ‘given’ to me. Even when I do the good jumps there’s a lot of effort that goes into it.”