On Sunday, June 15, 2025, under the roof of Stockholm’s historic Olympic Stadium, Armand “Mondo” Duplantis reached an electrifying new peak. With the bar set at 6.28 meters, the Swedish–American vaulting sensation soared above it on his first attempt, breaking his own world record and doing so on home soil for the very first time. 

The crowd erupted as he ripped off his vest in jubilation, running to embrace family, friends, and his fiancée, Swedish model Desiré Inglander. It was more than a personal milestone, it was a moment of national pride, marking the 12th time Duplantis has rewritten pole vault history in just over five years.

From Backyard Beginnings to a Global Phenomenon!

Duplantis’ journey reads like a modern-day athletic fairy tale. Born November 10, 1999, in Lafayette, Louisiana, he was raised by a former pole vaulter father and a heptathlete mother. His backyard in Louisiana housed a pole vault setup from the age of three, where he matched talent with dedication, setting his first age-group world best at just seven.

Choosing to represent Sweden, his mother's homeland, Duplantis steadily climbed the competitive ladder, snagging gold at youth and junior worlds (2015 Youth, 2017 Euros, 2018 Junior) before turning professional in 2019. That early immersion gave him both technical expertise and the fearless mindset needed for aerial triumph.

A Legacy of Massive Impact!

Duplantis has a flair for incremental brilliance. He first shattered Renaud Lavillenie’s 6.16 m outdoor world record in February 2020 (with 6.17 m in Toruń), and then repeatedly surpassed it, once in Glasgow (6.18 m), again in Rome (6.15 m, outdoor), and through countless indoor breakthroughs. In 2025 alone, he had already climbed to 6.27 m at Clermont-Ferrand in February. 

His tactical inch-by-inch progression isn't just about records; it’s a masterstroke. Every centimeter nets a hefty $100,000 Diamond League bonus, and with 12 world records under his belt across major meets, he’s balanced athletic greatness with strategic earnings (over $1.2 million from record bonuses alone).

The Vault Ahead: Legacy and Limits!

As he celebrated in Stockholm, Duplantis reflected on the historic ground where he first vaulted under four meters at age 11, recollecting it as “quite high for how young I was,” and hinted that this moment, his name etched into the stadium, would rank as “one of the greatest memories” of his career. 

With Olympic golds in Tokyo and Paris (2024), twin world championship titles (indoors and out), and a Diamond League trophy cabinet to rival any track icon, Mondo is already among the sport’s elite. But with talk swirling of “6.30 m being just a day away” and legends like Usain Bolt urging a post-jump celebration party, this storming of new heights may only be the beginning.