On August 23, Swedish-American pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis secured his seat in the final, following a staunch performance on the tracks of Budapest. The Olympic gold medalist represented his motherland Sweden, participated in the 200m heats in the World Athletics championship, and grabbed his ticket to the finals. Interestingly, as Duplantis stood atop the podium, Sha’Carri Richardson was spotted showing her support for the vault star on the tracks of Budapest.
The two athletes joined Louisiana State University together and dominated athletics at the college level. Since then, the two athletes have come a long way in their careers but seem to share the same bond. After showing her support, Sha’Carri Richardson was also seen talking about the sprinter in an interview.
Sha’Carri Richardson shows her support for Duplantis
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On August 24th, the NBC Olympics and Paralympics posted a video of Richardson showing her support for Duplantis with the caption, “Sha?Carri Richardson was cheering for Mondo Duplantis before his 200m heat!” In the video, Sha?Carri Richardson was sheen cheering at the starting blocks for Mondo. In the video, Richardson stated, “Oh yes, I saw my Mondo; he?s one of my favorite people in the world.”
Sha'Carri Richardson was cheering for Mondo Duplantis before her 200m heat!#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/cJdmXCROrC
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 23, 2023
Further, talking about their journey, Richardson added, “We came into LSU together. We did a lot of amazing things at LSU. Now we are at a professional level, doing our thing.” Appreciating Mondo?s talent, Richardson ended her statement by saying “He is on a whole different level.”.
Both LSU stars have come a long way since turning pro after their freshman year. The 22-year-old Mondo is arguably one of the best vaulters in athletics, while Sha?Carri Richardson continues to grab every title this season.
Journey of the two LSU stars
After completing their freshman year at LSU, Sha’Carri Richardson and Duplantis have come a long way. Duplantis, who is representing his homeland, Sweden, in the event, is the No. 1 ranked vaulter in track and field currently. The 22-year-old has won two gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics and even holds the world record for both indoor and outdoor pole vault. Duplantis was able to mark 20 feet, 434 inches, and 20-412, respectively.
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On the other hand, Sha’Carri Richardson became one of the fastest athletes in the world through her finesse on the tracks of Hungary. The athlete has managed to win the US track and field championship and also become a world champion. After defeating track and field legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the athlete secured first-ever gold at the championship.
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In essence, since turning pro, both athletes have made their names in the track and field community. Nonetheless, it?s great to see the two former LSU athletes still share such a great bond with each other.
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