On a perfect evening, in a perfect setting, the peerless Mondo Duplantis delivered another perfect performance.
In setting a new world record of 6.28m in his Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium on 16 June, Duplantis created yet more history. It was the 12th time he had broken the world record and the first time in front of his home supporters in Sweden.
“It’ll be one of the greatest memories of my career,” the 25-year-old said. “They etch the names of world record holders here. It’s going to be special to have mine up there.” Here’s a look back on every one of Mondo’s incredible world record setting feats…
- Torun, Poland, 8 February 2020 - World Athletics Indoor Tour - 6.17m
Duplantis first made history in 2020, soaring over 6.17m at a packed arena in Torun to break Renaud Lavillenie’s mark of 6.16m set six years earlier.
Clearing the bar on his second attempt, the then 20-year-old announced himself to the world in unforgettable fashion. It was a landmark night — and the beginning of the Duplantis era. Even then, it was clear something special was unfolding and more was to come.
- Glasgow, Scotland, 15 February 2020 - World Athletics Indoor Tour - 6.18m
Just one week later, at the next stop on the 2020 World Athletics Indoor Tour, Duplantis raised the bar again — literally. He cleared 6.18m at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Glasgow, nailing it on his first attempt in front of an electric crowd, as the buzz around his name continued to build after Toruń.
“The freefall was magical,” he said — that moment in the air when time seemed to slow, and Mondo was once again falling into track and field history.
- Belgrade, Serbia, 7 March 2022 - Belgrade Indoor Meeting - 6.19m
After two years of near misses, with Mondo himself admitting that 6.19m had become a sticking point — "I must have had 50 attempts" — the breakthrough finally came in Belgrade.
At the Indoor Meeting in March 2022, he cleared the height on his third and final try, the bar wobbling but staying up. With the World Indoor Championships just two weeks away — in the very same stadium.
- Belgrade, Serbia, 20 March 2022 - World Indoor Championships - 6.20m
Back in Belgrade two weeks later, at the World Indoor Championships, Duplantis struck again — this time with championship gold on the line. He cleared 6.20m on his third attempt, in the same arena where he’d broken the record days before.
The bar wobbled perilously but held, as the Swedish champion claimed both the world record and his first indoor world title in one breathtaking moment. That height had eluded him for years, and many had questioned whether 6.20m was even possible. That barrier was now broken — and Mondo had no plans to stop.
- Eugene, USA, 24 July 2022 - World Championships - 6.21m
Four months later, at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Duplantis made history once again — and this time, it was outdoors. He cleared 6.21m on his second attempt, claiming his first outdoor world title and breaking the world record for a fifth time.
It was the first men’s pole vault world record set outdoors since Sergey Bubka’s 6.14m back in 1994 — ending a streak that had stood for 28 years. “It’s hard to explain,” Mondo said afterward. “It’s something that I’ve wanted since I was a little kid.”
- Clermont-Ferrand, France, 25 February 2023 - All Star Perche - 6.22m
At the All Star Perche in Clermont-Ferrand, Duplantis closed out his 2023 indoor season in spectacular style. After earlier world record attempts in Uppsala (where he cleared 6.10m) and Berlin (6.06m), the third time proved the charm. On his third attempt, he soared over 6.22m, securing the sixth world record of his career.
The first to congratulate him was Renaud Lavillenie, the former record-holder and meet organizer, who embraced Mondo trackside as the crowd roared. A moment that felt like a passing of the torch between two legends of the sport.
“There’s just something about this place,” Duplantis said — and once again, Clermont-Ferrand had delivered another piece of vaulting history.
- Eugene, USA, 17 September 2023 - Diamond League Final
6.23m Duplantis returned to Eugene seven months later for the Diamond League Final, and once again Hayward Field delivered magic. On his first attempt at 6.23m, he brushed the bar ever so slightly — but as the crowd held its breath, it stayed in place. With his family watching from the stands, Duplantis sprinted toward his team, leaping into their arms as fellow vaulters lifted him high in celebration.
“It was the most family I’ve had at a competition since high school,” he said. “That’s an unbelievable feeling — especially because those are the people I want to make the most proud.”
It was a perfect end to an extraordinary season — and his second world record on the same runway where he won his first world title.
- Xiamen, China, 20 April 2024 - Diamond League - 6.24m
Opening the 2024 outdoor season in the same nature he ended the last: another world record in the Diamond League. This time in Xiamen, he soared over the mark of 6.24m on his second attempt. The eighth record in his already illustrious albeit short career thus far.
The reigning world and Olympic champion was flawless throughout the competition, clearing 5.62m, 5.82m, and 6.00m all on first attempts before going straight for the record. With no other athlete clearing six metres, Duplantis once again stood alone — and above.
- Paris, France, 5 August 2024 - Olympic Games - 6.25m
At the Stade de France during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Duplantis delivered the performance he had dreamed of since childhood.
After securing gold with an early clearance at 6.00m and then resetting the Olympic record at 6.10m, he soared over 6.25m on his third attempt to break the world record once again.
“My biggest dream since a kid was to break the world record at the Olympics,” he said. It was the ultimate goal — Olympic gold and a world record on the same night.
- Chorzów, Poland, 25 August 2024 - Silesia Diamond League - 6.26m
Back in Poland, where his record-breaking journey began, Duplantis cleared 6.26m on his second attempt at the Silesia Diamond League — his third world record of the outdoor season, and tenth overall.
He made light work of 5.62m, 5.92m, and 6.00m before launching himself into the history books once again. “My first world record was in Poland, so I have great memories from here,” he said.
The night was historic not just for Mondo — it marked the first time three men cleared six metres in the same competition, with Sam Kendricks and Emmanouil Karalis both joining him over the barrier.
- Clermont-Ferrand, France, 28 February 2025 - All Star Perche
6.27m At the All Star Perche in Clermont-Ferrand — a location quickly becoming synonymous with Duplantis’ record-breaking feats — he cleared 6.27m on his second attempt, breaking the world record for an eleventh time and for the third time at this very meet.
Clermont-Ferrand has become a kind of holy ground for pole vaulting — and Duplantis its defining figure.
- Stockholm, Sweden, 15 June 2025 – Stockholm Diamond League
“My biggest dream now—I feel like the only thing I’m missing—is to break the record here at Stockholm Stadium. It’s kind of a thing I can’t get off my mind,” he said on the eve of the event. Then on a perfect balmy Scandinavian evening, his dream came true.
He cleared 5.60m, 5.80m, 5.90m and 6.00m at the first attempt. And then gave the world record height of 6.28m the same treatment, sailing over with a single magical leap to send the packed crowd of family, friends and fans into an excited frenzy.
Afterwards, an elated Mondo said: “I’ve jumped a lot here and they etch the names of World Record holders here. It’s going to be really special to have my name etched in the stadium. It’s the most beautiful stadium in my biased opinion. It’ll be one of the greatest memories for me, I think, in my career.
“I’m going to keep pushing forward like always. I’m going to jump higher. I’m just going to enjoy this, enjoy the moment right now. There’s not much between me and 6.30, technically. It’s just a few centimetres.”
The sky truly is the limit for the amazing Mondo.
Tom Hanson for European Athletics