Athletics
Mondo Duplantis breaks down the technique behind a pole vaulting jump
What actually goes into the perfect jump? The world's best pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, a 7-time world record holder, breaks down what it takes to fly.
Pole vaulting is one of the most complex athletics disciplines out there. You need to master it all: speed, strength, technique and agility. And top it off with some serious guts. It's an art form that Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis has mastered to perfection. The undisputed King of pole vaulting has broken his own world record six times and is nowhere near done yet.
Whilst jumping six meters into the air, upside down, is everyday stuff for Duplantis, for the untrained eye it looks absolutely mental. Mindboggling even. It is an extremely difficult sport with multiple phases requiring different techniques.
Greg Duplantis, technical coach and father explains: “You have to be a sprinter, a long jumper, a gymnast. There are all kinds of things going on: the run, the grip, the pole, the flex of the pole, where the bar is... Everything has to be perfect.”
Getting inverted takes both physical strength as well as a lot of technique
© Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool
My best jumps have always felt effortless, one solid motion where no energy is lost in the process.
Discover the complexity of the sport and get a glimpse into the mindset of the world's greatest pole vaulter Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis in the brand new documentary "The Next Centimeter".
Or keep reading to get a breakdown of the most critical elements of pole vaulting by the Duplantis duo.
01
The equipment
Before you even get to the runway, there are several things you need to consider as a pole vaulter. The poles, for example, come in different lengths, widths and stiffnesses. A bigger pole with less flex means you can go higher, but it also requires more strength and better technique. Then you need to decide on your grip as well as where on the pole you will hold on.
At the other end of the runway is the bar which can be moved in relation to the box. It can sit more forward towards or more backwards towards the matt.
The run, the plant, the takeoff: everything matters
© Adam Klingeteg / Red Bull Content Pool
02
The run
The jump is set up from the first step on the runway. Each athlete with their own run distance to set them up perfectly for the following pole plant. The run itself has to be explosive and powerful, the athlete having to carry momentum all the way through whilst holding up the heavy pole.
For Duplantis it’s all about finding the right rhythm on the runway: "I have it in my head and I can feel when it's right", he says.
The runway is one of Mondo’s biggest strengths as a pole vaulter. He is fast. Hitting over 10 meters per second, his speed is higher than anyones ever. That speed transfers into energy when he plants his pole and so the faster Duplantis can run, the more energy he can transfer into the jump.
Lately Mondo has been putting a lot of time and effort in to getting faster
© Richard Ström / Red Bull Content Pool
Mondo's runway speed is higher than anyones, ever.
03
The pole plant
The jump itself is initiated by the pole plant. It depends on the athlete how early or late they lower the pole before it goes in the box, but whilst timing can differ, everyone plants their pole in a similar manner. All apart from Duplantis.
Greg Duplantis explains: “Mondo drops his pole early on the runway and then slides it into the box. We’re not sure where it comes from, maybe from not being strong enough to hold the pole up properly when he was a kid and so he developed this very unique technique. But it works for him, and some even say it’s an advantage as it dampens the vibrations when hitting the box”.
Mondo has a very unique style in pole vaulting, but instead of trying to change it we work with it.
Get to know "Mondo"
04
Getting inverted
When the pole hits the back of the box and the athlete pushes off the ground, that’s when the speed from the runway transfers into upwards energy, propelling the athlete up in the air.
Now things get real technical. Their arms have to be as high as possible coming off the ground whilst jumping up into it. They also have to put a lot of pressure on the pole, but not lock their arms out for too long as they have to tuck them in to get inverted. Some push off the ground far back and others closer to the box, some go into a ball and others try to get inverted straight away.
What does it feels like to be inverted 6 meters up in the air?
© Adam Klingeteg / Red Bull Content Pool
Duplantis describes the inversion as “a lot of technique, a lot of timing but also a lot of physical strength” and explains that he tries to get upside down as quick as he can to be parallel with the pole, as that’s when you get the highest in the air.
Duplantis has a really efficient swing, that is when you swing of the ground in order to get inverted, according to his dad. “Mondo is really good at transferring all that speed from the runway into energy as he swings on the pole, and he just keeps that energy going. However, no one does it perfectly and we can always work on getting it even better”, Greg says.
05
Getting over the bar
By now, most of the work has already been done. Once the athlete lets go of the pole there is nothing more that they can do apart from trying to avoid the bar, moving arms and chest out of the way.
Duplantis again: “When you are over the bar you know pretty soon if you've made it or not. If the bar stays put and it's a make you get to just relax and enjoy the free fall.”
"You know pretty soon if you've made it or not"
© Richard Ström / Red Bull Content Pool