Every time Mondo Duplantis shows up on the tracks, the spectators presumably think, How much better can he get? Raising the bar with each performance- quite literally, the Swedish pole vaulter recently broke the world record for the 10th time, touching the 6.26m benchmark at the Silesia Diamond League. But, apart from an upward progression, Mondo’s WR heights unveiled an unmissable pattern recently highlighted by the World Athletics. Naturally, track and field fans jumped into the zone of discussion, where many interestingly threw their support behind the athlete.

Mondo, the current Olympic champion, has bested his world record height three times this year, from 6.24m at the Xiamen DL in April, to 6.25m at the Paris Olympics, and now another cm has been added to it. But, as one skims through these numbers and the rest of the 7 highest jumps he has on record, Mondo’s 1-cm strategy becomes quite visible. Pointing the same out, the World Athletics added an Instagram post about his recent spectacle in Poland.

Starting from 6.19m to 6.26m, Mondo Duplantis’ world record heights constantly have a difference of just a cm between them. Could the 24-year-old indoor and outdoor record holder have soared higher? Well, most of his fans would like to believe that he has enough gas in the tank to achieve wider margins. However, as they discussed the potential reason for this persistent gap, more than a handful seemed to have sided with the vaulting star.

Mondo Duplantis’ strategy earns fan support

Taking to Reddit, r/trackandfield initiated the talk in a thread titled, “What do you think about Mondo Duplantis 1cm strategy to keep obtaining WR?” And the fans had a lot to say. One of them commented, “He owes us nothing. Be grateful you get to watch the greatest to ever do it.” Indeed, a 2x Olympic champion, a 2x World Champion, and a 3x Diamond League final winner, the Swedish star has many accolades to his name. Thus, the suggestion to simply enjoy the visual treat every time he competes rather than dissect his strategies comes forward.

Whereas, a second came forward with a rather detailed analysis. They wrote, “See I like that whenever you go to a track meet that he’s at, you will likely witness a WR attempt. He has been the main event every meet lately as he tends to attempt these records after all the track events are over, and the crowds are really into it. I can see why it feels a bit diminished knowing he could go higher, but I think his strategy is working well for building his star power.” The currently ranked #1 pole vaulter, Mondo Duplantis, has not lost a competition since 2019. Therefore, it’s only natural for fans to expect fireworks every time he lines up for the leap.

A third added, “He gets paid each time. Track/field athletes are underpaid to begin with. Let the man get his cash!” Every time an athlete shatters a world record, they bag a whopping $100,000 for it. And as per Forbes, the condition stands only eligible for once in every meet. Thus, one of the supporters linked this to a financial strategy that Mondo Duplantis probably followed. One that has awarded him $900,000 so far.

Nonetheless, whatever the reason is, another fan believed that the player is not to be blamed. Their words, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game” fired a loud and clear message. Be it the lucrative bonuses or simply so that he dominates the maximum of the highest ranks, the athlete should not be on the receiving end. Another said, “I can’t blame the guy. Not only does it prolong the spotlight for his marketability he also cashes in. It’s the smart thing to do.”

Speak of the historic titles in pole vaulting, and there’s only a chance that Mondo Duplantis won’t have them. In 2022, he crossed the six-meter margin 22 times, more than anyone in the record books. But his 1cm practices are rather common. A fan believed he wasn’t the only one who did it, They wrote, “Yes, it’s the sign of a GOAT since the times of Iolanda Balas. Bubka and Isinbayeva did it too…” And further hoped that Duplantis would touch the 6.30+ mark soon enough. Do you think he can? Share your thoughts below!

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