Mondo Duplantis Joins Usain Bolt In Exclusive Club After Clinching Prestigious Global Award

Mondo Duplantis after being crowned Laureus Sportsman of the Year. Photo: Imago

Mondo Duplantis Joins Usain Bolt In Exclusive Club After Clinching Prestigious Global Award

Joel Omotto 07:58 - 22.04.2025

Pole vault king Mondo Duplantis has joined Usain Bolt as the only track and field athletes to have claimed the prestigious award following his crowning in Madrid.

Swedish pole-vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis became only the second track and field star to win the Laureus awards having been crowned Sportsman of the Year in Madrid on Monday.

Popularly known as Mondo, the US-born Swede has made light work of pole vaulting in recent years, setting records at will, and won his second straight Olympics gold at the Paris 2024 Games.

He did it in style as he broke his own world record for the ninth time before lowering it again at the Silesia Diamond League a month later.

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It earned him his third straight Laureus nomination and this time round, he was on the winner’s podium as he was handed the award by multiple winner Novak Djokovic.

With the win, Mondo became just the second track and field star to clinch the award after legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won it four times in 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2017.

“I am incredibly honoured to have won my first Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award in the sporting capital of Madrid and to have the great Usain Bolt pay tribute to me,” said Mondo.

Meanwhile, Simone Biles, the world’s greatest gymnast, was named the Sportswoman of the Year, a fourth gong that saw her equal tennis legend Serena Williams, while Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal claimed the Breakthrough of the Year award.

Biles won the award ahead of Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí (Football), Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (Athletics), Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon (Athletics), USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Athletics) and Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka (Tennis).

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