Many European athletes take the European Championships lightly, as the Olympics are the summer's big goal. But not the world's most dominant athlete in track and field right now – pole vaulter Armand Duplantis.
"Mondo" Duplantis has not lost a pole vault competition since last July. And he started the outdoor season by improving his world record to 6.24 in the Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China.
He will qualify at the European Championships in Rome on Monday, and he hopes to make it a quick story. The start is at 10:18.
He has jumped high at the Olympic Stadium in Rome before. Four years ago, he cleared 6.15 on the track, which was the highest jump ever recorded outdoors at the time.
Last week's Diamond League meet in Stockholm was marred by tricky wind, and his world record attempt failed.
The 24-year-old Swedish-American is aiming for his third European Championship gold and his second in a row. He thinks the European Championships are an important competition, even in an Olympic year.
The pole vault final will take place on Wednesday evening. Duplantis has no real competition among European pole vaulters right now. The athlete with the next best season's best has cleared 5.92, Frenchman Thibaut Collet.
Born: November 10, 1999, in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA.
Lives: Stockholm.
Club: Upsala IF.
Nickname: "Mondo".
Main achievements: Holds the world record in pole vault at 6.24 since the Diamond League meet in Xiamen on April 20, 2024. Olympic gold 2021, World Championship gold 2022 and 2023, World Championship silver 2019, indoor World Championship gold 2022 and 2024, European Championship gold 2018 and 2022, indoor European Championship gold 2021.
