Pole Vaulter Mondo Duplantis Mimics Viral Olympian After Breaking World Record

On Monday, Swedish pole vaulter Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the men's pole vault final, Duplantis secured the gold medal by surpassing his own world record with a jump of 6.25 meters, setting a new record in the process.

Duplantis' previous record was set back in April in the Xiamen Diamond League, where he made a 6.24m jump, just a 0.01m difference from his gold medal performance. Duplantis celebrated his new world record in style by mimicking fan-favorite Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec.

Last week, Dikec gained widespread attention after winning a silver medal in the mixed 10m air pistol final. What made his accomplishment even more impressive was the fact that he secured second place without the aid of special glasses, unlike his competitors, all of whom relied on specialized lenses. His hand-in-pocket shooting stance also helped him blow up.

Duplantis is now a two-time Olympic pole vault champion as he also won a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He was born in Louisiana, USA, and his mother, Helena, comes from Swedish descent.

Duplantis chose to represent Sweden over the USA after his father was offered a job to coach the Swedish team. Through multiple events from 2015 to 2024, Duplantis has won a total of 16 gold medals, all coming in the pole vault.

Meanwhile, Dikec (51) made his Olympic debut in Beijing 2008 when he was just 35. He competed in every Olympic games since, failing to secure a medal until this year. Dikec became Turkey's oldest Olympic medalist after winning silver.

Related: U.S. Sprinter Noah Lyles Loses Race After Staring Down Opponent At Finish Line

Related: LeBron James Is Trending After Decking South Sudan Player At Olympics