Married man ‘Mondo’ Duplantis says trying for pole vault records ‘like the cherry on top’

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Swedish pole vaulter Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, a married man, is aiming to break the world record in the pole vault. At the European championships, Duplantis successfully cleared 5.60 meters in just one attempt, qualifying him for the final on Sunday night. The world record stands at 6.31 meters, a height Duplantis vaulted in March.

This marks his 15th world record, each surpassing the previous one by a margin of one centimeter. The two-time reigning Olympic champion appears to have recovered from a thigh injury that compelled him to withdraw from the London Diamond League meet a month ago.

Duplantis expressed optimism and confidence heading into Sunday's final, stating that the jump on Friday was "clean, good. Nothing too out of the ordinary." He then signed autographs and greeted fans. For the final, special "Mondo" children's tickets were sold for the morning session, priced at 6.31 pounds, a nod to his world record height.

When asked about his family life, Duplantis, who married Desiré Inglander in June, revealed that proposing and tying the knot was more nerve-wracking than attempting a world record. He quipped, "When I attempt a world record, it’s like the cherry on top. I don’t really even get that nervous, it’s more like I won the competition and whatever happens after that is really nice." Competing for Sweden, Duplantis has won the past three European championship titles.