by Larry Eder
Mondo Duplantis, in his “What me, worry?” meme, photo by PhotoRun.net (Don’t get it? Go find a MAD magazine).
The men’s pole vault last night, on Day six, session two of the European Athletics Championships will go down in athletics history for many reasons. Mondo Duplantis became the 23rd man to join the six meter club with his 6.00 meters. Timur Morgunov became the 24th member of the exclusive six meter club, when he cleared 6 meters. When Mondo cleared 6.05 meters, it was his second WU20 world record for the day! It also gave him the victory.
But here’s more of interest. Before the compeittion, Renuad Lavillenie texted Mondo and noted that he hoped both would be on the podium, he did not care which medals, but both on the podium at the same time. I have the tweet here, and thanks to Fog City Flyers (@fogcityflyers), I have the Mondo’s two jumps, Timur’s 6.00 and Renaud’s 5.95m.
.@airlavillenie sent Armand Duplantis (@mondohoss600) a good luck text message on the morning of the pole vault final.#EC2018 pic.twitter.com/dfxA2AYWjV
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 12, 2018
Mondo had nine attempts and cleared eight of them, missing only at 5.80 meters, and requireing two attempts. He was in the zone! He also won his first senior continental championships on Sunday, August 12, 2018. Four men over 5.95 meters!
At 18y and 275d, Armand Duplantis is the youngest ever male athlete to win a field event title in European Championships history.
A truly remarkable performance from the Swede!#EC2018 #TheMoment pic.twitter.com/ahpqnYihOd
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 12, 2018
The pole vault is a wonderfully emotional event. Mondo Duplantis has a loving family and parents who both were athletes. Greg Duplantis, his father, is a former 5.85m vaulter and his mother is a former heptathlete. They challenged him, but they also let him be a teenager, which, at 30 or so, he will thank them for. That’s what parents are supposed to do.
Here’s the 6.05 meter jump from one angle, again on Instagram from FogCityFlyers:
Now, here’s the slow motion view of Mondo’s winning 6.05 meter jump. Check it out! Amazing athleticisim, very old school. And to think, he’s on new poles too!
The 24th member of the Six meter club is Timur Morgunov, who cleared 6.00 meters, a new PB for the ANA athlete. Timur’s speed, agility and athleticism reminds me of the old school Russian vaulters from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Pretty impressive! Kudos to silver medalist Timur Morgunov!
And then, the man. I have to admit, Renaud Lavillenie, aka @airlavillenie is just a great guy, and a wonderful athlete. I have interviewed him a dozen times and respect his competitive nature, his drive, his athleticism, but most of all, his sportsmanship. This guy showed more class yesterday with Mondo than any athlete in memory. I will go this far. I go back to Alain Mimoun, the 1956 Olympic marathon champion, who waited, after he had won the marathon until sixth placer Emil Zatopek finished the marathon, to congratulate his old warrior friend. After twelve races against Zatopek, going back a decade, Mimoun had finally defeated the Czech locomotive.
For Renaud Lavillenie, who is the emperor of the pole vault, in my mind, he is mentoring the next generation, with Mondo and Morgunov, and also enjoying the comptetions with Lisek, Kendricks and Wojciechowski, among others. Here is Renaud Lavillenie clearing 5.95 meters. He made game attempts at 6.00 meters and 6.05 meters. No quarter asked, none given.
Pole vaulters are the gladiators of the sky.
