“There's always a better jump I can take”

Ashley Davis03/01/2026

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Article by David Istrate – Published on Saturday, 03 January 2026, 11:30 / Updated on Saturday, 03 January 2026 11:35

In the year 2025, Armand Duplantis (26 years old) continued to dominate the sport he practices, remained undefeated competitively and, in addition to the medals won, improved his pole vault world record 4 times. On the second day of 2026, in a dialogue with GSP.ro and journalists from around the world, the Swedish athlete spoke, among other things, about his mentality, about the “perfect jump” and about the combination of innate talent and acquired skills.

On Friday, January 2, the multiple European, World and Olympic pole vault champion participated in a Zoom discussion with journalists from over 30 countries. The 26-year-old athlete made his appearance suddenly, simply, greeting those present with a smile on his face.

Mondo Duplantis spoke to GSP.ro about the repetitive nature of the test he practices: “I can always shoot harder”

Relaxed and very generous with his time, Duplantis spent more than an hour answering the journalists' curiosities, without avoiding the more difficult questions. The Swede took the questions seriously, developed the topics and constructed his answers patiently and calmly.

GSP.ro was the only media institution in Romania that participated in the discussion with Mondo Duplantis. Asked by Gazeta Sporturilor how he combats boredom and how he finds the passion to continue, for over two decades, to practice a discipline which, in itself, is a repetitive act, the AIPS athlete of the year answered as follows:

“It's repetitive, but it's almost impossible for one jump to feel the same as the next, because it's very physical. It's not like golf, where you hit and try to make everything the same. I'm always trying to get more out of a jump, have a little more energy and make it a little better. Yeah, there are some similarities (no between jumps) and obviously you want to have consistency and rhythm and timing, but I always try to i improve this.

I think the motivation comes from all that rush, and because I feel like I can always pull harder, there's always a better jump I can make: have more speed or produce more energy. The ride, the rush and always trying to maximize my jump and potential keeps me going.”

Although he tries to improve every jump, Duplantis does not consider himself a perfectionist athlete. He admits that he is competitive, that he likes to push his limits and give the maximum, but says that more than a perfectionism driven by analysis and data, he relies on sensations.

“When it comes to sports and pole vaulting, I've always been hard on myself, ever since I was a kid. I knew the level I could reach and when I jump, I have expectations of myself. I am realistic and know that perfection is not possible when it comes to pole vaulting or sports. But that's the fun and the rush – in the fact that you can always do more,” explained the Olympic champion from Tokyo and Paris.

Armand Duplantis, in dialogue with Gazeta Sporturilor, explained how he combats boredom:

Mondo Duplantis/Photo: Getty Images

Mondo Duplantis: “This run never ends, it's something in itself – the race for the perfect jump”

Towards the end of the conversation, when his belief that there is no such thing as a perfect jump was questioned, Duplantis didn't back down, but stayed consistent with his vision of the sport:

“I have had many fantastic jumps over the years and I am very grateful for them. But I think it's not plausible to aim for perfectiona. This run never ends, it's something in itself – the race for the perfect jump. I always feel after a jump that I can improve something. You have to constantly adapt. Some jumps are better than others, but perfection is unattainable.”

Duplantis is coached by his parents, Greg and Helena, and started playing the sport at a young age. His own experience with pole vaulting reinforced his belief that the development of an athlete requires both innate talent and skill development as well as the right environment.

“I grew up in an environment where the sport was accessible to me. That's not to say that anyone in my situation would jump the way I did. My brothers didn't like it and didn't have the same passion, but I fell in love and the stars aligned for me. I was determined, focused and motivated to be the best. I think mindset and confidence are the most important,” Duplantis pointed out.

Armand Duplantis during the world record jump, 6.30 m, at WC Tokyo 2025 Photo: Imago Images

Mondo Duplantis shared his dream: “To be a great father”

From the moment he first picked up the pole until now, there have been many races, many gold medals and records broken. In the seniors, Duplantis broke the world record in 2021 and has since improved it 13 times. However, the emotions remained, and it shows in the joy the Lafayette, Louisiana native shows every time he competes.

“I used to get really emotional and anxious and put a lot of pressure on myself before the first Worlds,” Duplantis admitted. “Obviously, I still get excited and get butterflies in my stomach before major competitions, but it doesn't compare to what it used to be“, he added.

“I think it's a result of having more confidence now. It's also about having the right mindset, controlling what I can control and letting the rest just happen. I always adapt to situations and don't get stuck in the plan I make before the competition,” Duplantis continued his analysis.

Asked to offer advice to the younger generation, the athlete who will break his world record 4 times in 2025 had the following to say:

“The most important thing is to follow your passion and do what you love, what you want to be the best at. We have intuition for a reason and I think you have to listen to yourself, your heart. The best way to do anything is with passion, love and maybe even obsession. Follow this fire that burns within you. There will be hard days where you won't want to do anything, but as long as you have passion and the inner fire to be the best, you will end up doing well no matter what you do.”

Throughout the dialogue, Mondo Duplantis talked about the importance of family in his life and about his relationship with Desire Inglander, his fiancee, and at the end, when he was challenged to say, in one sentence, what his biggest dream is, what it would mean to be successful in life, the athlete answered: “To be a great father“.