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Armand Mondo Duplantis continues to redefine what’s possible in pole vaulting. On Tuesday at the Gyulai István Memorial in Budapest, the Swedish-American sensation cleared 6.29 metres, breaking his own world record for the 13th time. The achievement came just two months after he set the previous mark of 6.28 metres in June, which itself was only a centimetre higher than his record from February.
Since first claiming the world record in February 2020 with a 6.17-metre leap, Duplantis has inched upward — literally — one centimetre at a time. Yet, despite the tiny increments, the 25-year-old remains untouchable in his field, creating a gap so wide that his competitors rarely come close.
A strategy rooted in financial smarts
Like Sergey Bubka, Duplantis gets hefty bonuses every time he sets a new mark; doing so by the smallest margin possible each time is being financially-smart. His major sponsors, Puma and Red Bull, reward him for each new record — but the payout doesn’t multiply if he breaks it twice in the same event. By spacing his milestones in single-centimetre jumps, Mondo Duplantis ensures he maximises both the frequency of record-setting moments and the financial rewards that come with them.
It’s a calculated approach that blends athletic mastery with economic acumen. Each centimetre not only solidifies his dominance but also ensures another round of headlines, sponsorship bonuses, and fan engagement.
“A man’s got to make a living”
Earlier this year, Mondo Duplantis was candid about the business side of his success when asked by former heptathlete Tiara Williams if he really earned bonuses for every world record.
“It is pretty true. I got to make a living, you know. A man’s got to make a living. Somebody has to do it. There is a bit of a glitch or whatever you want to say. I gotta do what I got to do. I see the stuff (talk of him breaking the record by only a centimetre) a little bit, people send it to me. I think that is a good thing. Not so many people I guess are making, like an abundance of bread in track and field. So I guess that is a good thing that I can capitalise on things,” he said.
Beyond the money — the drive to push higher
For all the talk of financial strategy, Mondo Duplantis remains motivated by more than just money. His career boasts two Olympic gold medals, two World Championship titles, two world indoor crowns, and four Diamond League Final wins.
When asked by Puma about his future goals after setting the then world record of 6.26 metres last year, he hinted at even loftier ambitions:
“So, we’re at 6.26m right now… I know what I’m capable of and there’s some more that I can push. I think that 6.30m is probably the target in the near future, and 6.40m is achievable in the next few years.”
Untouchable in competition
The gulf between Duplantis and his rivals is staggering. At the Paris Olympics, he claimed gold at 6.25 metres — the only athlete to clear the 6-metre barrier. The silver medalist, Sam Kendricks of the USA, managed 5.95 metres. Even when not at his best, such as at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, he still won gold at 6.10 metres, far ahead of second-placed Ernest John Obiena’s 6.00 metres.
In pole vaulting today, the sky is not just the limit for Mondo Duplantis — it’s a target he keeps nudging higher, one centimetre at a time, turning each jump into both a historic feat and a masterclass in strategic thinking.
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