"I know that 6.30m will come one day": before the Herculis meeting in Monaco, world record holder in pole vault Armand Duplantis answers our readers' questions

How high do you think you can jump?

I think it will be lower than you might imagine. I'm very involved in the present moment, I'm very focused on my future goals, but I'm unable to see beyond a year. I know that 6.30 m will come one day, I hope soon. I know that after that, I'll try to go as high as possible, but we'll see when the time comes.

Did you ever imagine yourself breaking the world record twelve times when you were little?

Maybe not twelve, but at least once, yes, absolutely (laughs). I always felt I was capable, I always had hope and I believed deep down that I could be the best in the world, to be in the position I currently occupy. Of course, it's a bit of a dream, a bit unreal, but at the same time, I always believed in it. Now, I think I've done more than I could have hoped for.

How do you handle the pressure when everyone is expecting you to win?

I think I've built up my self-confidence over the years. It's normal to be nervous when you're doing something for the first time. But as you get better at it, confidence comes, and it allows you to stop thinking about that pressure as much.

How do you stay motivated when you're the only one who can go so high?

In sports, nothing is given to you. You have to fight every day. I know that going into Paris last summer, everyone expected me to win. But no one is going to give you gold for free, just because you're expected to win. There are always people who will be watching me, and they want to see that I'm jumping well. So when I'm on the track, I think about what I want to achieve at that moment, not what I've already done. That's how I stay determined.

What height you climbed left you with the best memory?

The last one (his world record at 6.28m, editor’s note).

But what do you feel when you're at the very top?

It's always a flood of indescribable emotions. I feel super euphoric, it's a crazy dopamine rush. It's quite hard to describe, quite confusing, mind-blowing.

What is the hardest part of being a top pole vaulter?

Planning. There's so much to do, to plan for. Sometimes weeks or months in advance. You can get stuck, which is what stresses me out a bit.

Do you feel a sense of responsibility as a figure in world athletics?

I don't put as much pressure on myself in that sense. I try to inspire people through my performances, and I focus on delivering the best version of myself, that's the most important thing.

Have you ever experienced periods of blockage in your career? How can you overcome them?

Maybe a little more at the beginning, but I've always had this fighter mentality. I don't stop training if I'm not satisfied. Even if I start to get tired, I keep doing jumps until I feel like I'm performing decently. And I become obsessed, I can't stop. I can do jumps for four hours, until it's just right.

Your name sounds French. Do you speak French?

No, unfortunately. I understand a few words, but I don't speak. My name comes from Louisiana, where the French influence is still very strong. There, everything is marked by French culture: the street names, the cuisine... It goes back five or six generations when my family, originally from Bordeaux, moved to Lafayette (Louisiana). I know the word "putain" (laughs). Renaud Lavillenie and Thibaut Collet say it all the time. I don't know if it's a swear word or not, but it comes up a lot in their mouths!

You've released some songs recently. Is music serious for you?

Yes, I write quite a bit. I have a lot of songs in reserve. Music is a real escape. It allows me to completely escape from the world of jumping. I can be somewhere else, immerse myself in another atmosphere. It's very personal, almost therapeutic.

We saw you beat Karsten Warholm in a quirky 100m race in Zurich last year. Are you interested in doing something like this again?

Why not? The first time, we didn't know how big it would be, but it created a huge buzz (the two athletes had started their challenge in Monaco). We need to find the right format, the right person. Maybe a decathlon against Sasha Zhoya (laughs) or a long jump challenge? That would be fun.

Precisely, apart from pole vaulting, is there a discipline that you would like to try?

The long jump. I don't know if I'd be good at it, but it would be the easiest. It's quite similar in approach to the pole vault. After that, anything over 100 meters is hard for me! The 200m might be my limit. But I like to imagine that in another life, I could have been a good 400-meter runner.

You said you want to inspire young people. What do you do?

In Sweden, I don't have my own track, so I often train on shared facilities. I sometimes meet young people and give them advice. I try to organize a few events for them each year. What I like is seeing motivated, curious children who want to progress.

And you, when you were young, what pushed you towards this sport?

My father. He built everything for me in the garden, using recycled materials, old pieces of track, and DIY poles. I jumped up to 5.30 m in our garden.

Have you ever jumped higher in training than in competition?

No, never. This is a question I get asked a lot. But in reality, I always jump less high in training, about 15 centimeters less.

Do you think a woman will ever be able to clear 6m when the current world record is 5.06m (Yelena Isinbayeva)?

I really hope so. We feel like things are progressing. The overall level is much higher than it was six or seven years ago. If an athlete manages to clear that symbolic 6m barrier, she'll be able to pull everyone up, just like I did in the men's category by surpassing 6.20m. That's how things evolve. All it takes is one driving force.

With your track record, have you ever thought about the age at which you will retire?

I'm thinking about it a little, but without planning too far ahead. I probably won't be jumping for as long as Renaud Lavillenie (38 years old). I can see myself continuing until 2032, maybe 2036 if I'm still in the running for Olympic gold.

What do you do on vacation?

Nothing too sporty! I'm enjoying myself, sleeping late. My fiancée and I go to places by the water. We relax. No hiking or big adventures. It's just rest and a little extra weight before heading out again.

And the rest of the year, do you have an impeccable lifestyle?

Overall, yes. But like everyone else, I have my little pleasures. Fast food, from time to time... I have fifteen meets a year and I eat at McDonald's thirteen or fourteen times a year. I didn't do it for seven years, but I do it now after competitions. I eat a burger, a few nuggets. You know, pole vaulters are the craziest athletes. They break the rules. We do some pretty stupid things (smile).

Why did you decide to come here?

There are hundreds of reasons. The weather, for one thing. It's not a place where you feel obligated to come. Besides, I'll stay there for a week after the meeting. It's also a place where you can jump high. I think I have something to prove here. I've only been here three times, including once when I was 19, and I haven't jumped as high as I'd like in Monaco yet.

The Stade Louis-II is the scene of your last defeat in 2023, does that upset you?

No, I don't even think about that. I'm not superstitious. I just know that I'm disgusted that I didn't jump higher here, that I'm disappointed in myself, and that I want to improve. I often make mistakes, I'll even make more mistakes, but I don't make mistakes twice in a row. I'm still very confident going into this meeting, especially about my ability to put on a show.

How did you prepare for this edition?

I've had a series of competitions, and the Monaco meeting is the last before a month-long break. I'm happy with how things are going, my consistency and timing. The more I pole vault, the better I feel. I'm improving with each meeting.

What are you aiming for in Monaco?

Something very good. I think I'll have a lot more to offer than the last time I was here (see above). I managed to clear 6.28m a few weeks ago in Stockholm, so I'm definitely in good shape. Even if my last meeting in Eugene didn't necessarily go as I would have liked. It's up to me to put the ingredients together. I feel so much better than last time...

Do you feel like a new world record is within your grasp on Friday?

I already feel better than in Eugene, that's obvious. I think I'm capable of doing better than in Stockholm. The meeting record (6.02 m by Piotr Lisek in 2019). Yes, that's a goal. I'm confident in my ability to achieve it. I hope to even go higher.