The globe is in awe of Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the Swedish-American pole vaulter who broke world records at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With his ease and seemingly calm ways on the pole, best believe that audiences are curious about this Olympic wonder!
For those who count themselves in that crowd, we’ve whittled down the info to the essentials with these 10 facts about the Olympic champion.
Who Is Armand “Mondo” Duplantis? 10 Facts About the Swedish Pole Vaulting Champion
1. Armand “Mondo” Duplantis was born and grew up in the United States.
Mondo was born on November 10, 1999 in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States to an American father Greg Duplantis and his Swedish mother Helena Duplantis. While he grew up Stateside, the pole vaulter often spent his summers in Sweden and had a connection to his mom’s heritage. Now based in Stockholm, Sweden, the Olympian chose to represent the European country, especially with the prevalence of athletics there. “In Sweden, a track and field stadium is as common as a football or baseball field in the USA,” he once said.
2. Mondo comes from a family of athletes.
The athleticism runs in the Duplantis family tree! His father Greg is a pole vaulting icon of his own, earning a personal best of 5.80 meters in 1993. His mother Helena, meanwhile, is an accomplished heptathlete. Mondo’s parents both coach him in pole vaulting.
Alongside Mondo, Helena and Greg’s children have sports running in their blood. His older brother Andreas and younger sister Johanna are both pole vaulters, while his older brother Antoine is a baseball player and pole vaulter, too!
3. He started pole vaulting at the age of three.
Given his familial ties to sports, it’s no surprise that Mondo began his pole vaulting journey at a young age. The athlete started pole vaulting at the age of three, as their family had a pole vaulting set up in their home in Louisiana. “Most kids had basketball nets in the backyard. We had a pole vault setup. That made us pretty unique,” he told Redbull.com.
4. His nickname “Mondo” came from his godfather.
While his actual name is Armand, most people and fans refer to him as “Mondo.” The nickname actually came from his godfather, who called him “Mondo Man.” “Mondo” is the Italian word for “world,” and the pole vaulter even considered changing his name legally to that. However, his lawyer advised him not to do so.
5. He isn’t a big fan of vegetables.
Non-Olympians might assume that the world’s greatest athletes have a rigorous diet, but for Mondo, it’s still something that he struggles with! His mother Helena, a nutritionist, admitted that her son wasn’t too into his greens. “Mondo has never really enjoyed vegetables. He would just move them to the side of the plate. We're taking it one vegetable at a time,” she said to the Olympics.
The pole vaulter once ate only candy before a 5.90-meter record jump at the Texas Relays, while he also admitted that he ate too much fried chicken while in college.
6. He listens to “vulgar music” before competitions.
Every athlete has their variation of a pre-competition ritual, and Mondo’s version involves a pumped-up playlist to get locked in. In an interview quoted by Olympics.com, he mentions that he listens to “vulgar” music to “get that crazy mindset going.”
7. He almost quit pole vaulting when he was young.
Mondo’s world may have been wholly different now because of one decision. Aside from pole vaulting, the athlete played soccer and baseball at a young age, too. According to the Olympics website, he changed course at 12 years old when he decided to focus on baseball. At one point, he had to choose a sport to let go of and eventually decided on the pole vault.
8. He holds several world records.
After debuting at the 2017 World Championships in London with a ninth spot, there are no signs of Mondo slowing down. He ranked number one at the men’s pole vault championships in 2022 and 2023, and in 2021, brought home a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a 6.02-meter vault. He broke it even further at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a world and Olympic record of 6.25 meters, earning him another gold medal.
9. His girlfriend is a model and content creator.
Mondo found love at a party in Stockholm, Sweden, when he met his girlfriend, model and content creator, Desire Inglander. While she wasn’t too keen after their initial meeting, the two exchanged Snapchat messages and she eventually agreed to a date. Now, they’re inseparable, and Desire is always spotted cheering for him in a crowd!
10. You can follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
Get updated on Mondo’s next ventures through his Instagram and TikTok.
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