World record holder Armand Duplantis called an 'absolute failure'

Pole vaulter, Armand Duplantis has broken his own world record, set at the 2024 Paris Olympics, raising the bar to 6.26 meters at a Diamond League meeting in Poland. The Swedish competitor's dominance is undisputed, but for some fans, he still isn't doing enough!

Duplantis has become an international sensation over the past month of competition, with the Olympics in Paris highlighting just how far ahead he is of the chasing pack, let's take a look at how he got on at Paris 2024 and how fans reacted...

Duplantis wowed the onlooking Parisian crowd by cruising to an Olympic gold medal and breaking his own world record in the process, yet he was still able to anger some fans!

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The backlash from fans is centered around his decision to represent Sweden, rather than the country of is birth, the USA.

According to The Daily Mail, one fan took to X (formerly Twitter) to chastise Duplantis and US athletics by writing that it is an “Absolute failure of American athletics that Mondo Duplantis wears a Swedish jersey.”

Another commenter was even harsher, writing, “He's literally American. He competes for Sweden because his mom is Swedish and it meant he could bypass the US regulations.”

Another fan took a slightly more humorous track, writing, “Let’s stop this Mondo Duplantis is Swedish stuff. That man is from Lafayette. Ain’t no one from Sweden ever been to the all-you-can-eat Popeyes,” referencing the Louisiana-based fast-food chain.

When it came to Duplantis’ choice to represent Sweden, there was a real battle, with the pole vaulter initially hoping to represent the US rather than his mother’s home nation.

Swedish youth coach Jonas Anshelm spoke in an interview with the Olympics media in 2022, saying he and his country, “definitely wanted him in the team,” but they knew they would have to work to secure his services.

Duplantis’ older brother had previously represented Sweden in pole vaulting, something Anshelm hoped would sway Armand. Despite that, and direct messages on Facebook, Anshelm’s initial approaches were rebuffed.

Despite Armand being against the idea and, Anshelm, who described himself as, “a bit stubborn and stupid,” during the process, continued to push. Ultimately, Anshelm’s offer for Armand’s father, Greg, to have a role on the Swedish team’s coaching staff was enough, with the pole vaulter choosing the Scandinavian country over the US.

Sports Illustrated also claim Duplantis’ decision was made, at least in part, due to sponsorship opportunities as, “track and field is more of a prominent sport in Europe vs. the once every four years a broader American audience pays attention every time the Summer Olympics roll around.” Whatever his reasons were, Duplantis is an Olympic gold medallist and given the ease with which he won, could see many more titles head his way!

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