In the pole vault final at the Paris Olympics on Monday, Sweden's Mondo Duplantis not only won the gold medal with a jump of 6.25 meters but also set a new world record with his performance. And then he celebrated wildly with his girlfriend and teammates and even did something that nobody had expected.
As the crowd at Stade de France roared and even other athletes cheered him on, 24-year-old Duplantis barely cleared the 6.25-meter bar. He then raced over to kiss his girlfriend, Swedish model Desire Inglander. Duplantis also shared hugs with his Swedish teammates, celebrating so enthusiastically that he even playfully punched one of them in the excitement.
Celebrations Go Wild
The couple shared a kiss amidst the surrounding celebration from fans, before Duplantis was swarmed by his Swedish teammates. The 24-year-old was so energized while hugging one of his teammates that they began shoving and playfully punching each other in the chest.
Duplantis also marked his win by mimicking Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec, whose laid-back style has gained him internet fame.
The pole vault champion has now secured a second Olympic gold to his impressive list of accomplishments, which already includes two world championship titles and three European championships.
"I haven't processed how fantastic that moment was,' he said afterwards. 'It´s one of those things that doesn't really feel real, such an out of body experience.
He added: "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.
"I felt really prepared. I've never been so locked in my life than in these past three months. Now I´m just ready to eat a bunch of food. The party is going to be pretty big."
On Top of the World
Duplantis' latest achievement just surpassed his previous record of 6.24 meters set in April. His gold medal win follows his wins at the 2024 World Indoor Championships and the 2024 European Championships.
Duplantis competed collegiately for LSU, where he secured the 2019 NCAA indoor championship with the Tigers.
Although he trained in the U.S., Duplantis represents Sweden because his mother, Helena, is a former Swedish volleyball player and heptathlete.
Duplantis' athletic talents extend beyond his achievements.
His brother, Antoine, was selected by the Mets in the 12th round of the 2019 draft out of LSU, though he hasn't played minor league baseball since 2022.
Duplantis' extraordinary performance earned Sweden its third gold medal and eighth overall.
