When asked what he missed to beat the pole vault world record for the third time, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, who crossed 6.01 m this Sunday with disconcerting ease before failing to three times at 6.19 m, sticks out the tongue. A grimace to signify that he probably lacked a little freshness. New expression when talking about his goal at the Tokyo Games.
The pearl of world athletics has humor, and above all an ability to captivate crowds. Admittedly, he did not improve his 6, 18 m at Clermont-Ferrand during the All star perche, also marked by the return to the foreground of Renaud Lavillenie (5, 94 m) in his fief, but he signed a fifth competition in a row above 6m in as many outings. Never had a pole vaulter succeeded in such a feat. In other words, how much the world pole is facing a phenomenon.
"He looks more like everyone else"
"He is 20 and 15 years old, pole vaulting, he has broken records at all ages and would be able to jump blindfolded," said former pole vaulter Philippe Collet. The pole is an extension of its own body. He has an incredible technical mastery and exceptional physical qualities. "It was designed to make the pole," smiles Philippe D'Encausse, the coach of Renaud Lavillenie. In the 1980s, Sergei Bubka had revolutionized the discipline, Mondo Duplantis is taking it to another era.
If the Ukrainian - who inch by inch had brought the record to 6.15 m - had monstrous physical qualities, "Mondo looks more like everyone else", continues Collet. But despite a dozen pounds less on the scale, it is gradually approaching the hardness of poles used by the Tsar (Lavillenie during his world record at 6.16 m in 2014 had used a significantly more flexible pole ).
“The more rigid the pole, the more difficult it is to fold since it requires more energy. But if you send her more energy, she sends you more and you go higher, explains D'Encausse. The complexity is to take the hardest pole possible, with as much leverage as possible. The limit is in the ability to take rigid poles…. "
"Parents who take the time to make it grow"
The strength of Duplantis is to be extremely fast in the momentum. "It happens much faster than before, it clearly jumped out at me," notes the coach. At 18, he ran the 100 m in 10''50. "We can consider that it is 10''30 at the moment", underlines D'Encausse ( Editor's note: Bubka ran in 10''34 ).
How far can the phenomenon go now? On these 3 tries at 6.19 m, he is above the bar. "But the pole vault is not a laser that measures the height of the pelvis, it's a guy who passes over a bar," warns the coach. A basin above a bar gives just information. "
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Philippe Collet would see the Swede cross one day… 6m 30. "It is however difficult to plan, estimates Philippe D'Encausse. After the World Championships in Doha, I wouldn't have imagined that Mondo would be so high. The record one day, yes, but now ... It has clearly passed into another world. It may also be due to his age. Between 20 and 25, we progress faster. One thing is certain: the young boy has everything to become a star. “He has the added bonus of having parents ( note: two former athletes ) who take the time to make him grow, summarizes Philippe D'Encausse. He doses the competitions, advances quietly. By making you dream.