re: Mondo Duplantis is jumping in World Games

frick that traitor cuck

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He didn't have to attend LSU, he could have gone pro right after high school. But he wanted to experience the LSU college experience with his brother, a starter on LSU's baseball team. The family had a home in Lafayette, as well in his mother's Sweden. He had been spending summers in Sweden while growing up, with his mother's family.

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LSU did have a good coaching staff plus LSU went to big track events that had many fans....Texas Relays, Penn Relays, among others....good experience before pro career. Europe is big time support of track, all the US compete over there. No support here except Oregon.

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LSU went to big track events that had many fans....Texas Relays, Penn Relays, among others....good experience before pro career

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Mondo didn't compete at Texas Relays or Penn when he was at LSU.

Wtf is Sweeden?

It’s very tough to compare, especially because Mondo is the greatest pole vaulter of all time and likely will be dominating for another decade.

The US has had many very good pole vaulters. The guys who get second place (Nilsen, Kendricks) are the only people who have ever beaten him but it was when Mondo was younger. But comparing Mondo’s endorsement potential to the second best pole vaulter is like comparing Shaun White/Usain Bolt/Michael Phelps, hell even Tony Hawk, to the second best people in their events. It’s not an accurate comparison. Mondo is just that damn good.

It’s also interesting how the Mondo threads always bring up people who act like the trials are arbitrary and imo overstate the general popularity of track in Europe. And there are also comments imo overplaying his Swedishness considering he could only speak a few words a couple of years ago and is taking lessons as an adult for marketing purposes.

Which is fine and certainly doesn’t make him a traitor but it’s overplaying his choice as a teenager to compete for Sweden.

This is coming from someone who a) loves track and field and follows the sport actively and b) has spent a pretty decent amount of time abroad. It’s bigger than it is here but the average Italian, Spaniard, or German will not look at Mondo as a global star like if he played soccer. Just like in the US, most people can name Bolt. And maybe 1-2 people from their country with recent success.

I’m sure he is huge in Sweden and probably a top 5 endorser for that market, although again he will be way behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and in the same league as some solid soccer players who aren’t really world class.

Only active athletes? Or do retired athletes count?


Sydney McLaughlin (400H)
Ryan Crouser (shot put)
Aries Merritt (110H) but now retired
Keni Harrison until yesterday (100H)

ETA: Pretty sure Grant Holloway set the 60 hurdles record at the indoor World championships this year as well, although you may only be including outdoor.

I think Christian Coleman has the 60 meters for men, no clue about women for either event.

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There are currently only 3 us world record holders in Track and Field. Can you name them without looking them Up?

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No. But Sweden has a population of 10 million. So even if he was the most popular athlete in Sweden that’s not shite popularity wise compared to his ceiling in the USA.

I honestly have no idea, I get their track and field is more serious in Europe. I’m just curious what his income is. It doesn’t seem that hard to pull in $5 mil or more a year in the USA just from a footwear endorsement.

... bringing back the memories ...

1972 Summer Olympics and the Cata-Pole controversy


Bob Seagren was the dominate force in pole vault during this time. He had won the gold at the Mexico games earlier and expected to win the gold at Munich.
Bob Seagren and Wolfgang Nordwig were swapping leads and used a new vaulting pole -- the Cata-Pole.
But it was somewhere like just 2 or 3 months before the summer games President Adriaan Paulen banned the pole because they suspected carbon fibers in the pole gave them unfair advantage, so they were forced to use poles they had never used before. Later it was proven there were no carbon fibers.

Wolfgang Nordwig won the gold
Bob Seagren won the silver
After the vaulting competition Seagren took his pole and found Pres. Adriaan Paulen and handed him the pole.

Jan Johnson from the University of Alabama won bronze ---

The most CHILL person on the planet with the most amazing upper body strength ever seen. To him the pole didn't matter, you could have given Jon electrical conduit tubing and he would have tried to break that world record.

Glad to see his legacy lives on.

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Yeah I’ll pass on the 12 year old boy body

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No you wouldn’t