Armand Duplantis: Why the Pole Vault Star Chose to Represent Sweden
Armand Duplantis: Why the Pole Vault Star Chose to Repres...
By Fan Arch August 24, 2024 08:14
For Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, life born into the world on November 10th of 1999 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Born with a rare ability as an athlete, he first set his age group world best at the tender age of seven. His mother Helena was also a pole vaulter and finished 12th alongside Greg at the Seoul Games.
Duplantis began pole vaulting at the age of four after trying out a sport his family set up in their Lafayette backyard. As he progressed into childhood and then his teens, breaking age group records again and again with apparent ease along the way only cemented this CFG-level strength even further.
Duplantis blossomed as he advanced through his teens. In 2015, during his freshman year at Lafayette High School in Louisiana, he set national records for freshmen indoors and outdoors en route to being named the Gatorade Louisiana Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. But his early success was just the start of a storied career in pole vault.
Choosing Sweden as the Official Country Representation
The decision that would chart the path of his athletic life was made at age 15 in June 2015, when Armand Duplantis declared he would represent Sweden on the world stage. It must have been shocking to choose the latter because Duplantis was born and bred in America. That said, several reasons motivated the decision, which ultimately made sense for this kid.
A key driving factor behind Duplantis' decision was the influence of Jonas Anshelm, a Swedish National Team pole vault coach. Anshelm played a crucial part in snapping up Duplantis. In an interview conducted in 2022, Anshelm claimed that he definitely wanted him on the team and made Duplantis interested in representing Sweden.
Competing for Sweden also enabled Duplantis to progress his pole vault earlier. Sweden had lower age restrictions than the United States, which allowed Duplantis to compete in higher-level competitions at a younger age. A chance to expand their reach and resume while still young must have certainly been attractive to an ambitious athlete.
The opportunity for his father, Greg Duplantis, to coach him on the Swedish team was arguably as much of a factor in Ardene's decision. The U.S. team did not allow for an exception to that rule, which made Sweden more appealing as a destination for the father-son duo. That might have been a big reason for Duplantis to opt for handicap-free Sweden to continue the coaching relationship with his father, who has played an important role in developing him as an athlete.
But Duplantis' connection to Sweden was more than just his mother's nationality. The crucial element came seven years before he ever stepped foot inside a competition area for his adopted country if it guaranteed him concreteness, little disbelief, and one distinct advantage: citizenship at birth. During his childhood, he enjoyed summers with the Swedish side of the family and always felt an affinity for Sweden. This personal touch to Sweden had Duplantis feel that representing was near felt right.
Duplantis was obligated to contest Senior international championships, such as the World Championship or Olympic Games. In contrast to American athletes who have largely shot at making the Olympics, Swedes base their qualification more on bodies of work in national team selection throughout the season. That, in theory, would give Duplantis a little more flexibility and assurance for things like qualifying for major international competitions.
Impact on Duplantis' Career
Representing Sweden changed Armand Duplantis' career. After making this decision, Duplantis has gone on to make history several times over.
Duplantis made his debut with the Sweden national team in the 2015 World Youth Championships held in Cali, Colombia, setting a championship record of 5 wins.
In the years that followed, Duplantis' success only grew. When he was 18, he secured his first major senior title at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin in 2018. It was a significant breakthrough win that showed Duplantis could compete and flourish against the world's best.
Choosing to represent Sweden also made Duplantis eligible for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where he captured his first Olympic gold. After this achievement, he won another gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a new world record performance of 6.25m. These would list Duplantis among the greatest pole vaulters of all time.
Duplantis has broken the world record on at least a few occasions throughout his career. He then bettered his own record twice in 2024 at the Xiamen Diamond League meeting, followed by the Paris Olympics. He has been compared to other dominant athletes in their sports, such as Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles, who have also shattered records at a prodigious rate.
What It Means: Duplantis' Perspective
Duplantis discussed the decision, with his family tree giving the Americans a strong link to Sweden. He has formerly said that with him growing up in Sweden as a child and his elder brother doing as he had done before representing Sweden at the youth stage, he made a choice to represent Sweden naturally. But he also admitted that he still felt a connection to his hometown of Lafayette and the people who live there.
Duplantis' coach, Jonas Anshelm of Sweden, has already welcomed the move. Thanks to Anshelm's efforts, Duplantis has become a genuine Swede of world-class and the greatest glory for Swedish athletics.
His parents have also supported his decision. His father, Greg Duplantis, has been able to continue coaching his son as part of the Swedish team, and their bond remains strong. This setup has undoubtedly had a significant impact on Armand's longstanding success in the sport and progression as an athlete.
Implications and Relevance
It showcases how sports are becoming increasingly globalized and less fixedly committed to representing a nation. As today's athletes are often of mixed heritage or dual nationality, it provides some form for performances of patriotism to take center stage. Duplantis is another case of how the decision-making process can be influenced by family ties, space to train, and feeling comfortable.
For one thing, there are lingering questions over talent development and national sports programs following Duplantis' glorious efforts for the country of Sweden. The decision to avoid representing the nation where he was born thus rewrites all traditional national sports development and success concepts.
His choice and triumph have rippled throughout the legacy of pole vaulting in Sweden. His successes have helped the Swedish pole vault get more funding and exposure than in years, which could lead to a new crop of Swedes over the bar.
Finally, Duplantis' story is just one more example of an athlete successfully straddling the line between dual identities and heritage. His comfort in his American skin and Swedish roots is an example for all athletes of how to stand with one foot on both sides, carrying your dual sense of identity into the international spotlight.
As Duplantis goes on to conquer the pole vaulting world, with its high stakes decisions and his opportunity-laden path paved wrought in the genetic potential of long jump championships past, so there is a lesson about how athletes who desire more for themselves can walk through this web ceremony.
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