The Evolving Strategy of “Global Star” Mondo Duplantis: Why Does He Keep Breaking the World Record by 1cm?

Ten centimeters in four years.

This is the impressive growth curve of pole vault phenomenon Armand Duplantis. In 2020, he began his quest for the record with a jump of 6.17 metres, and last weekend the Swede soared over 6.26 metres.

In those four years, Duplantis set world records no fewer than 10 times. Each time, he jumped one centimeter higher than his previous record.

Chance? None of it. With his sophisticated strategy, the Swede is becoming more and more the face of this generation every day. Because Duplantis is a man with a plan.

Wilfried Mert, an athletics expert and co-founder of Memorial Van Damme, sees how Duplantis made the most of his career. “Because there are several reasons why he chose to jump one centimetre higher each time,” he says.

Anyone who studies the image above carefully will have immediately deciphered the first part of Duplantis’ master plan.

It is not the Swede himself, but the elephant on the other side of the board that attracts attention. Or better yet: what the elephant is holding in his hands attracts attention.

“The cash register rings every time he hits his record,” Mert says. “You can always get a $50,000 bonus. Even if taxes go down, you can still build up a nice savings pot.”

But Duplantis isn’t just thinking about his own wallet. The cheerleader also has viewers and organizers in mind.

“There’s no reason to suddenly raise the bar to 6.35 metres,” suggests Mert. “Because if he jumps above that, it’s going to be very difficult to improve. And by going up one centimetre at a time, it gives all the meeting organisers hope that it can be bingo for them too.”

“So what he does is certainly also for the people in the stadium or at home in front of the TV. He gives them such exciting, amazing moments. It would be a shame to ruin that with one huge leap that is never achieved again.”

“Wherever he tries it – and I suspect it will soon also be at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels – the whole stadium watches him with enthusiasm. For the people who experience it, it is a moment they will never forget.”

However, after every world record, the question becomes a little higher: where is the ceiling for the Swedish phenomenon?

Wilfried Mert also knows that “one day it will happen”. “But at the moment he still has this big margin. Except for this weekend, because then the expectations have shaken up a bit.”

“But thanks to him, discipline has become very attractive. He is also very cheerful and interacts very friendly with his colleagues. He stands out above everything else a lot, but instead of looking down on them, he is simply ‘one of the boys.’”

So comparisons with other athletics icons are not far off.

Four years ago, Mert already said the prophetic words: “He fills the void left by Usain Bolt.”

“And I think he did it now, right,” Mert seems convinced. “Bolt was also a phenomenon that attracted everyone. People who had never come to the stadium before suddenly did it for Bolt.”

“Now they come to see Duplantis jump. Every few years an absolute world star is born.”

Let’s especially hope that this global star with his flying skills will add many more chapters to his evolving plan.