'Yeah, It's Coming' - Mondo Duplantis Targets Historic 6.40m After Dominant 2025 Season

Just three days after being crowned the 2025 AIPS Champion, pole vault superstar Armand "Mondo" Duplantis shared his thoughts on his historic season, future ambitions, and personal life in an online press conference with over 80 journalists.

The 26-year-old Swede dominated the Best Male Athlete category, securing 1,182 points from a record 836 journalists across 121 nations.

His victory followed a remarkable 2025 season where he set four new world records, claimed his third consecutive indoor and outdoor world titles, and won his fifth straight Diamond League trophy.

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With 6.30m conquered, the conversation naturally turned to the next major barrier: 6.40m. "Yeah, it's coming, I think," Duplantis confirmed, though he cautioned it would likely take several steps.

"I feel like I've shown myself that the 6.40 bar is very possible. It's not something that is just going to happen automatically... but it's something that I have within my capabilities for my career."

He emphasised his focus on the immediate future, starting with a "short and sweet three-meet indoor season" at the end of February. "For me, that's the only thing that I'm worried about and focused on."

Technically, reaching that height may require adjustments. While he currently uses a 5.20m pole, he acknowledged that a higher grip and stiffer pole might be necessary.

"That's going to require a few things from my side, such as more speed, more efficient energy transfer... The most important thing is just trying to put as much energy as I possibly can into the poles."

Reflecting on his latest world record of 6.30m in Tokyo, Mondo Duplantis described the competition as "very long and tiring." He credited Greek rival Emmanouil Karalis for pushing him to new heights.

"He was jumping so well, and he was pushing higher and higher... all the way up until 6.20m, which is very unusual," Duplantis explained.

"I've never had anybody who has pushed me that hard. I had to dig deep... I really dug deep and got everything that I could out of myself."

When asked about being named the world's top male athlete for the second year running, Mondo Duplantis expressed his gratitude.

"It's unbelievable, honestly. I'm really appreciative," he said. "Ever since I was just a little kid, three years old, jumping in my parents' backyard... I had these huge dreams that I could be the best in the world someday, and I could just push the barriers of what's possible in our sport."

Now Mondo Duplantis is targeting an easy 2026 season, where the main goal will be to compete at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships at the end of the season.