"Nothing too much out of the ordinary" - Mondo Duplantis not surprised at breaking his own pole vault world record

Swede pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis recently opened up on his performance at the 2024 Xiamen Diamond League, held on April 20, 2024, where he broke the world record for the eighth time.

At the Xiamen Diamond League, the 24-year-old soared to a new world record in the pole vault, with a spectacular clearance of 6.24m on his first attempt. He had also cleared the 5.62m, 5.82m, and 6.00m all on his very first try.

The athlete closest to Duplantis in the Xiamen meet was Sam Kendricks, who finished second with a best clearance of 5.82m. This performance not only showcased Duplantis' potential but also hinted at what more he could achieve.

He will next be competing at the Shanghai Diamond League, which is scheduled on April 27, 2024, at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Center.

Ahead of the event, Duplantis talked to the media and was asked about his record-breaking performance and how he felt afterwards. The reigning Olympic champion responded to this by not showing any surprise at his latest performance:

"It's been pretty chill. Nothing too much out of the ordinary. Mentally a little bit more on a cloud nine than just your average competition. Of course, being able to open up my outdoor campaign with the world record, that's always pretty nice. So, I know that I'm in really good shape."

Mondo Duplantis will aim for 4th Diamond League title in 2024

Mondo Duplantis reacts after setting a new world record in the Men's Pole Vault during the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and Wanda Diamond League Final on September 17, 2023 in Eugene. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

Mondo Duplantis has bagged three Diamond League titles so far in his career. He claimed his first Diamond League in Zürich with a new meet record of 6.06m, defeating two-time world champion Sam Kendricks (5.93m).

He bagged his second title in 2022 in yet another meet-record performance of 6.07m as he bettered his last year’s mark by 0.01. This time, he comprehensively won against Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen, whose best attempt was 5.86m.

Duplantis then made it a hat-trick of titles by winning the 2023 Diamond League at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene where he achieved his eighth world record with a clearance of 6.23m, ending the year on a high note with his second world title.

Mondo Duplantis' primary goal at the series will be to secure his fourth title at the AG Memorial Van Damme, where the final is set to be held at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels from Sept 13 to 14.