Sweden’s Armand Duplantis made history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: in addition to comfortably winning the gold medal, he once again broke the world pole vault record on Monday.
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Duplantis said breaking the world record to win gold at the Olympics was “a dream I had as a child.”
“What can I say? “I broke the world record at the Olympic Games, which is the ultimate goal for a pole vaulter. Breaking the world record at the Olympic Games is my childhood dream and I was able to achieve it in front of the biggest crowd I have ever competed in front of,” celebrated the hero of the day.
Duplantis acknowledged that it will be unforgettable for him to be able to compete in a full Stade de France, with his parents and his girlfriend in the stands, and the King and Queen of Sweden, Carl Gustav and Silvia, in the box.
Duplantis’ happiness for his victory and his record
After his victory, Duplantis celebrated by walking around the stadium while “Dancing Queen” by the musical group Abba, the Scandinavian country’s national emblem, was playing.
“I tried to keep my mind as clear as possible, as much as I could,” Duplantis said. “The crowd was crazy. It was so loud, it sounded like a football game. I have some experience being in a stadium with a capacity of 100,000 people, but I wasn’t the center of attention there,” story.
All this in contrast to how her previous Olympic Games went, three years ago in Tokyo, when she was crowned in front of a stadium empty of spectators due to measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. “Today I tried to channel the energy that everyone was giving me. And there was a lot of it! I succeeded,” she celebrated.
Duplantis was delighted to have decided, after securing his second Olympic gold, to attack the 6.25-metre bar in pursuit of the world record. “It was the right decision,” he smiled. “I felt I had nothing to lose. I am a happy man now, I have no words to describe it,” he said.
After completing the mission, Duplantis feels that the effort of the last few months has paid off. “I feel like I’ve been locked in a cave for the last three months, I haven’t done anything, I’ve been on a super boring diet (…) but it’s definitely been worth it,” he said.
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With AFP
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