Few sports have evolved as much as pole vaulting. From simple beginnings, advances in technology and technique have redefined the boundaries of the possible. Evidence of this advancement is clearly illustrated in the progression of the sport’s world records.
Handicapped by the use of a stiff, inflexible pole, the first reported world record, set in 1849, stood at 3.15m. Between 1849 and 1950, the benchmark had climbed by over 1.5m, with Cornelius Warmerdam setting a new mark of 4.77m in 1942.
The introduction of the new flexible pole in the 1950s saw an increase in the rate of record-breaking. Brian Sternberg was the first to surpass the 5m barrier in 1963. By 1983, the record stood at 5.83m. And then along came Sergey Bubka.
Representing the Soviet Union and Ukraine, Bubka broke the world record on 17 occasions. He became the first man to clear 6m in Paris in 1985 and retired having set a new high of 6.14m in 1994. Having raised the mark by over 30cm during his dominant reign, some wondered whether Bubka’s record would ever be broken. However, five years after Bubka set his final record, a man was born who would change everything.
That man is Swedish-American sensation, Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. That Mondo moniker was handed to him by a friend of his father at a young age and translates to “world”. Given the world records that would lie in his future, that nickname proved rather apt.
Setting Records from an Early Age
Born in the USA to a pole-vaulting father and a Swedish heptathlete mother, Armand Duplantis had all the ingredients for athletic success. He wasted little time following in the footsteps of his father, who himself had a more than respectable personal best of 5.80m.
Duplantis first picked up a pole as a four-year-old and immediately looked a natural in this technically demanding event. Clearing 1.67m as a six-year-old in 2006, his 2.33m vault in 2007 set a new world record for the seven-year-old age bracket. Fast forward to 2010, and a ten-year-old Duplantis cleared 3.86m – a mark good enough for the world record in the 10-, 11-, and 12-year-old age brackets.
Dominating the Youth Ranks
Departing the junior scene holding the world record for all age groups from 7-12, Duplantis continued his ascent in youth competition. Having chosen to represent the country of his mother, Armand won gold for Sweden at the World U18 championships in 2015 and the World U20 Championships in 2017 and 2018.
The records continued to fall during this golden streak. His 2017 vault of 5.90m in Austin, Texas set a new U20 record, which he promptly broke in 2018 when clearing 6.05m. As of 2025, that record still stands in the U20 division.
During the rapid ascent of Duplantis through the junior and youth ranks, the long-standing record of Sergey Bubka had fallen. Heading to Bubka’s home nation of Ukraine in 2014, Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie cleared 6.16m – 2cm over Bubka’s 1994 mark. Bubka’s record had stood for 20 years. Lavillenie’s would last for only six.
Taking the Sport to New Heights
This is what 6.30m looks like btw, outrageous.
A 14th World Record for Mondo Duplantis.#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/09zT9zXvov
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) September 15, 2025
After dominating the youth and junior ranks, Duplantis was ready to display the full scale of his extraordinary talent. Bringing unmatched speed on the runway and a distinctive explosive style, Duplantis has torn the previous record to shreds, but he has done so one centimetre at a time.
Armand Duplantis World Records
- 6.17m, 8 Feb 2020 – His first world record came at an indoor event in Torun, Poland, as he raised Renaud Lavillenie’s mark by 1cm.
- 6.18m, 15 Feb 2020 – Just one week later, Duplantis set a new record at another indoor event in Glasgow.
- 6.19m, 7 Mar 2022 – Any thoughts that Duplantis had reached a peak were put to bed as he broke the record for a third time in Belgrade.
- 6.20m, 20 Mar 2022 – A new record for the big occasion with this vault at the World Indoor Championships
- 6.21m, 24 Jul 2022 – A significant milestone in Eugene, USA, as Duplantis broke the record for the first time in an outdoor event at the World Championships
- 6.22m, 25 Feb 2023 – Heading to Clermont-Ferrand, the hometown of former record holder Renaud Lavillenie, Armand made his next incremental increase.
- 6.23m, 17 Sep 2023 – Returning to the USA, Duplantis once again showed a liking for Eugene to break the record outdoors for a second time.
- 6.24m, 20 Apr 2024 – Xiamen, China set the stage for World Record number eight as Duplantis lit up this Diamond League meeting
- 6.25m, 5 Aug 2024 – A second Olympic Gold Medal and a ninth World Record arrived at the Paris games
- 6.26m, 25 Aug 2024 – His mark set at the Olympics lasted only 20 days as the record fell again in Chorzow, Poland
- 6.27m, 28 Feb 2025 – A new year and a new record, this time back in Clermont-Ferrand at the All Star Perche
- 6.28m, 15 Jun 2025 – A first world record on home soil saw Armand clear 6.28 in front of a rapturous crowd at the BAUHAUS-galan event in Stockholm
- 6.29m, 12 August 2025 – The 13th stop on the world-record-breaking global tour took Duplantis to Budapest for the Gyulai István Memorial event.
- 6.30m, 15 September 2025 – Over five years after breaking the record for the first time, a 25-year-old Duplantis continued to raise the bar with this effort at the Tokyo National Stadium.
Why 1cm at a Time?
At first glance, it may seem odd that Duplantis breaks the record by only a single centimetre each time. Does he follow that strategy to heighten the drama and bring world record suspense to every event? There may be some of that at play – Duplantis is undoubtedly an expert showman. However, there are also 100,000 other reasons to take such a conservative approach.
Every time a world record is broken, World Athletics awards a bonus of $100,000 to the record breaker. However, this bonus is only paid once per event. As such, there is no financial sense in breaking the record more than once at an individual meeting, or by any more than the minimum amount.
So far, Duplantis has earned well over $1 million solely from these bonuses. As to how high he can actually go, and how many more new records are within reach, perhaps only Armand knows the answer. However, with further bonuses awarded from sponsors and commercial partners as well, you can be sure that he will only keep increasing his mark by 1cm at a time. Not bad work if you can get it!