Rome (AFP)

Gifted kid in pole vault, Armand Duplantis succeeded at only 20 years of age by becoming the new absolute benchmark of pole vault in Rome on Thursday in Rome and robbing the legendary Sergei Bubka of his last record.

After Renaud Lavillenie, whose world record he broke (6.16 m) in February 2020 by bringing it to 6.17, then 6.18 m, Duplantis has given another legend of his sport a boost.

By clearing 6.15m at the Rome meeting, the man everyone nicknamed "Mondo" posted the best performance ever in the open air and overtook King Bubka.

The phenomenon is a paradox, with his old-fashioned first name "Armand" and his patronymic "Duplantis" which betrays the Cajun origins of this family established in Louisiana.

He is incredibly mature (he will be 21 next November) and grew up in the United States, even though he competes in the colors of Sweden, his mother's country.

Rebel wick, angel face, golden ring in his ear, Duplantis seems straight out of a "teenage movie" which could be titled "Born to fly", from the title of the documentary that has him. already been dedicated.

- Born for the perch -

It is certain, "Mondo" was born for the pole vault on November 10, 1999 in Lafayette (Louisiana).

His father, Greg, his coach since always, has a more than honorable record at 5.80 m.

His mother, Helena, a former heptathlete, takes care of his physical preparation.

In the family garden, we have found a saltire since he was four years old, where he has played with his big brother Andreas, a former pole vaulter who represented Sweden at the 2009 World Juniors, and his little sister Johanna.

An unusual installation for the neighborhood that we also find in another keen on this aerobatic sport ... the Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie, his idol who became a friend, with whom he goes from time to time in Clermont-Ferrand to share sessions.

From the age of seven, Duplantis erases almost all unofficial world records in each age category.

So weak but endowed with formidable speed, he was only a high school student when he slammed a jump to 5.90 m at only 17 years old during the Texas Relays in April 2017 in Austin.

"Mondo" is definitely revealed to the world of athletics during a crazy competition in Berlin in August 2018, where he became European champion at only 18 years old, crossing 6.05 m!

- "I am in the place" -

Is he then a teenager among the adults?

“Off the track I feel young, he explained to AFP in July 2019. I go out with people of my age, for activities of people of my age. But on the track I feel very experienced. know what I'm doing, I've been doing it for years. My age doesn't matter and doesn't matter to anyone, especially not to my competition. "

Crowned with this success, he leaves the University of Louisiana and the university system, where his brother Antoine also shone - passed by the New York Mets baseball franchise - and becomes professional in the process.

"Before I had no more excuses, I was young, in high school or in college. Now I'm pro, no more excuses. I'm one of the guys who matter. I dreamed of to be there, I'm happy to have the opportunity so soon. "

"Now I'm in the place," he hammered and repeated to AFP.

European Champion 2018, vice-world champion in Doha in October 2019 and now "world record holder", both indoors and outdoors, the only thing missing from his record is Olympic gold.

It is planned for next summer in Tokyo, if the pandemic allows the normal course of the Olympics, postponed by one year from 2020 to 2021. It is indeed the only thing that can disrupt the flight of the imperturbable "Mondo ".

© 2020 AFP