Uppsala. Mundo Duplantis played at home the pole vault win for Team SM.
He won by 65cm – although he jumped in a fashion of only twelve steps and brought with him the softest poles.
– Yes, I am sorry that I did not bring any difficulty. Then I would probably have gone over 5.85, says Mundo.
But what really matters for a victory score of 5.61?
It was still the same hype as the world record after that, when all the young fans came forward and wanted selfies and autographs.
He is one of Mondo’s greats.
He loves his fans as much as they love him.
– Yes, it was fun to be here, to come home, to go back to the highlights of the club and meet the home crowd, says Mundo, who was recently awarded the honorary award of the year.
After last year’s Bauhaus concert, Mondo stayed with the young fans until it got dark over the Stockholm stadium.
He had time for everyone.
It contributed to his greatness, as he quickly became one of Sweden’s most famous athletes.
If not the most popular.
Now Mundo took this competition as a training session.
– Yes, I jumped twelve steps to the normal twenty. But I felt light and comfortable in my body. He says it’s only about losing a few bars there in the end.
I don’t remember when he finally jumped on 5.26
After 5.61, he set the bar at 5.85, which may have been an unofficial world record by short approach.
– It still feels good, almost very good actually. It’s always fun to pole vault. But of course it was more like exercise. At the same time, I’m a little mad at myself for not bringing any stiffer bars. I would need it today.
And perhaps a tougher resistance?
– Yes, but that is the case. But it looks like I need it soon.
Yes, on a Swedish level, Mondo is quite a category of its own.
When William Asker broke out at 5.16 and stayed at 4.96, it was time to start Mondo’s singles show.
But what surprised him was that he chose to set the bar at 5.26.
Entrance height he doesn’t even remember when he jumped on the latter.
– Yes, it’s been so long that I don’t remember him anymore. But I wanted to secure points and sometimes you have to do new things for the team.
Mondo’s next competition is the Bauhaus Gala in Stockholm on June 30. Then hope for the same beautiful weather as here in Uppsala.
Yes, it can be really high. I really hope so, it’s my last competition before the World Cup. The figure is there.