‘We all knew it was coming’: Rockstar pole vaulter Armand Duplantis clears world record in high drama finish

‘Mondo’ rocked the pole vault at the Paris Olympics, breaking the world record amid high drama at Stade de Frande. And there was no-one happier for Armand Duplantis than Aussie competitor Kurtis Marschall.

Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall knew it was coming, he’d been around the GOAT for years.

So when Armand Duplantis set a new world pole vault record in the Olympic final, there was no-one happier than his Australian mate.

While Marschall had bravely fought his way to a sixth placed finish, everything was about the man they call ‘Mondo’ when he set his sights on his own world record after claiming his second Olympic title.

Sweden's Armand Duplantis attempts to pass the world record in the men’s Olympic pole vault. Picture: Antonin Thuillier / AFP

First he checked off the Olympic record which he missed in Tokyo, clearing 6.10m on his first attempt to lock that away. Then he turned to the world record which he’d set at 6.24m in China back in April.

He raised the bar to 6.25m and then to raise the tension inside Stade de France he missed his first attempts.

But on the third, with 80,000 fans screaming, he floated over the bar to a roar that anyone present won’t forget in a lifetime.

Winner Sweden's Armand Duplantis celebrates setting the new world record. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev/ AFP

“We all knew it was coming, I think he just teased us a little bit with those first two misses,” Marschall said. “That was his plan all along, get the Olympic record first, just get that done because they didn’t clear it in Tokyo as he went straight to the world record.

“His clearances during the night were proof that he was going to jump 25 for sure. He’s got so much more in him. It’s ridiculous.”

Marschall said it was an honour to be in the same era as the Swedish superstar, who at 24 has taken the event to a level no-one believed possible.

“It’s sick to just be pulled along by him, to be in his wake is like, more than I could have asked for in this sport,” he said. “Just seeing him do that brings more eyes to the sport and more eyes on the sport is better.”

Marschall, who won the world championships bronze medal behind Duplantis last year, described his friend as remarkably “chill”.

“He’s the GOAT, he’s crazy, he’s got such a chill, calm persona around home. He just likes hanging out, plays golf, hangs out, he’s just one of the chillest dudes you can ever meet. He’s like the most famous guy in Sweden at the moment, he’ll get pulled aside, like, he can’t go outside without wearing a mask or a cap or something. as people will beg him for a photo.

“It’s ridiculous but even despite all that, he’s still got such a cool, calm head on his shoulders. It’s so sick to be one of his close mates and to be a part of the pole vault at the moment is ridiculous.” Three months ago Marschall’s Games seemed over after he dislocated his ankle at the national championships in Adelaide but he never gave up on his Olympic dream and fought through the pain barrier.

Marschall has described Duplantis as the GOAT of pole vault. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Loaded with painkillers he looked good early in the final before missing his first attempt at 5.80m. He then passed and re-entered at 5.85m, clearing on his first attempt but unfortunately that was the end of the ball game.

“I couldn’t be happier with 5.85m, with an ideal prep you never know what I could have jumped,” Marschall said. “Last year I did 95 on my first attempt and that got me in the medals, 90 would have got me in the medals this year.

American Sam Kendricks claimed the silver medal on 5.95m with Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis getting bronze on 5.90m.

Originally published as ‘We all knew it was coming’: Rockstar pole vaulter Armand Duplantis clears world record in high drama finish