Duplantis basks in ‘best ever’ season, not rushing for more races

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, of Sweden, celebrates after winning the men’s pole vault during the Diamond League final 2024 athletics meet in Brussels, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis was left basking after a victorious end to what he said had been his “best-ever” season at the Diamond League finals in Brussels.

But the US-born Swede said he would not necessarily be rushing into any more mid- or end-season exhibition races.

Duplantis beat Norwegian hurdles star Karsten Warholm in an exhibition 100m on the eve of last week’s Diamond League meet in Zurich.

It was an event that he said had left him “wrecked.”  At least he made the competition the following day. Warholm pulled out with a hamstring niggle.

READ: Duplantis sets pole vault meet record in Diamond League Final

“I don’t know if it’s finished,” he said of the concept. “But there’s not going to be races anytime soon.

“If anything, it would be a relay with the Swedish squad if I think we had a chance to break the Swedish record.”

Duplantis, who clocked 10.37 seconds to beat Warholm’s 10.47, said he felt “pretty beat up right now.”

READ: Duplantis breaks world record for third time this year

“I don’t think the timing was also maybe so perfect for us. Coming off the Olympics I haven’t trained that much, I haven’t trained for probably four weeks. Realistically I haven’t done any sprint training so it was such a shock to my body and my energy.

“I don’t think it would be as much of a problem as it was now, but it’s the end of the season and you’re already kind of just hanging on and I put my body through a lot.

“I don’t regret it, it was amazing and we’ll see what happens after this.”

Warholm, he added, was “doing okay. He says it was nothing serious”.

 15th win of unbeaten season

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis (R) reacts as he wins against Norwegian hurdler and sprinter Karsten Warholm in a head-to-head exhibition 100m sprint race on the sideline of the IAAF Diamond League “Weltklasse” athletics meeting, at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich, on September 4, 2024.  (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

Duplantis only vaulted three times in Brussels, at 5.62, 5.92 and 6.11m, the latter a new meeting record. It was his 15th straight win.

But a tilt at a fourth potential world record this season was never on the cards, having won Olympic gold in Paris with a new best of 6.26m.

“I just really prayed I’d make it on that first attempt,” he said of the meeting record vault in Brussels.

READ: Sweden’s Duplantis–pole vault’s invincible superstar

Duplantis admitted he didn’t have his mind set up for a world record.

“I just take it as it comes,” he said. “I don’t think my body was really going to allow me to take another jump honestly, at least my hamstrings.

“I didn’t have the speed all the way to jump 6.27… I did what I had to do and I got the most out of what my body could do.

“Not every day is going to be like that when it comes to world records, and I’m aware of that, but it was not going to happen today.”

Duplantis said he was looking forward to tasting a variety of Belgium’s world-renowned beers before hitting the dancefloor.

“I have rhythm and I can dance a little bit, but it just depends on who you’re comparing it to,” he said, highlighting the disco skills of French 110m hurdler Sacha Zhoye. “If I have some liquid courage then I think I’m better than him probably.”

Duplantis was not keen to look too far ahead, with four weeks off training to come.

“I’m just like enjoying the present moment and I’m just living right now,” he said. “I’m just going to enjoy, try to soak in the whole season and then go from here.”