1. Armand Duplantis
Country: Sweden
Sport: Athletics
Number of stitches: 210
Best ranking: 1st
Ranking 2021: 13th
Top 10
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Why him ?
Because he is absolutely one of a kind and after an exceptional year in 2021 enhanced by his Olympic title in Tokyo, he managed to go even higher in 2022. Literally and figuratively. Armand Duplantis stuffed his trophy cabinet this season:
. Indoor World Champion
. Outdoor World Champion
. European Indoor Champion
To these titles, he added a few additional steps (or jumps) to the legend via his three world records, two more than since the start of his career:
6.19m (room)
6.20m (room)
6,21m (plein air)
Two of these three records, the last two, were set in a world final. In short, we can speak of a perfect season even if, just to quibble, we will nevertheless point out that the Scandinavian prodigy suffered a defeat in 2022, during the meeting in Brussels, at the beginning of September. That day, the extra-terrestrial briefly descended to the rank of humans, peaking at 5.81m. It was the first contest he hadn’t won in over a year after 20 wins in a row. But really, it’s a matter of nitpicking.
Armand Duplantis
Credit: Getty Images
While he has just celebrated his 23rd birthday in November, Armand Duplantis already has a staggering record: an Olympic title, two world titles (including one indoors) and two others at European level. And these records that pile up. It’s not quite the Bubka revolution of the 80s yet, but the young Swede is definitely taking his discipline a giant leap forward and it’s probably not over.
Barring injury, there’s no reason to think he’s approaching some form of glass ceiling. “My objective, he mentioned when receiving the Athlete of the Year award in Monaco at the beginning of December, is to always go higher and for as long as possible. I don’t know how far that will lead us.”
So how far can he go? He has made six meters such a routine that seeing him jump 6.10 or 6.15 on a regular basis no longer surprises anyone. In 2022, he went… 15 times to more than 6 meters, including six times to 6.10 or more. Surrealist. It trivializes the exceptional. “I’ve now jumped over 6m enough to know it’s possible to break records anytime.“, he assures.
In his record jump of 6.21m in Eugene, he sailed eight centimeters above the bar. That is to say its margin. “I think I can jump much higher, he guaranteed last winter in Belgrade. I feel this is just the start. With the proper technique, I don’t see why we couldn’t jump 6.30 m, 6.40 m or 6.50 m.”
His year in 5 dates
20 mars : Two world records in two weeks in the same place, in Belgrade. After clearing 6.19m, Armand Duplantis does it again with 6.20m, a new level reached. But this time, it’s in the final of the Indoor World Championships. “I want to push back the barriers“, he warns in Serbia.
June 30th : In a stadium committed to his cause, the Swede managed in Stockholm the best performance in outdoor history with a jump of 6.16 m. “What a delicious feeling, he says after his new “record”. It’s great to jump on the track where I train, I live 10 minutes away, I kind of wanted to defend my territory. The Swedish audience gave me extra motivation”.
July 24: The big meeting of his season. Coming to Eugene to win the last title missing from his list, “Mondo” completes his collection in Oregon by becoming outdoor world champion for the first time. Even better, he does it by beating his world record once again: 6.21m. “Not bad“, he jokes into the microphone, addressing the audience.
20 August : Never tired, never satisfied? Four weeks after his American feat, Duplantis is back at the European Championships. In Munich, he is “content” with a jump of 6.06m to conquer his third major title of the year.
December 5: For the second time in three years, he was named “Athlete of the Year” by World Athletics, the International Athletics Federation. “This year I just wanted to be the best pole vaulter in the world, but to be the best in all my sport is really something incredible“, he savors in Monaco.
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