The star has not even been in Paris for a day, but he is already experiencing a difference compared to the last summer games.
Tokyo 2021, which was marked by the coronavirus pandemic, was far from the public festival that the Olympic Games usually are.
For Armand Duplantis, the championship ended with his first Olympic gold medal, but also involved other feelings than happiness.
Tokyo "onajs"
In Tokyo, it was quite stressful, considering covid, he says during a press conference in the hot French capital.
Sam Kendricks (USA) tested positive and I met him the same day. There were many such things that were beyond one's control, things that could take the Olympic Games away from you. It's nice to avoid that.
In Paris, it will be completely different, the 24-year-old is convinced.
And then Duplantis is thinking of two things:
+ The audience at Stade de France
I think it will be like nothing I've experienced before. In London 2017, the World Championship, it felt like nothing could be bigger than that, but this arena is larger.
80,000 people giving energy, it will be special.
Difficult with tickets
+ For the first time, he has large parts of his family, both from the Swedish and American sides, plus friends from the USA on site.
Except for my grandfather, grandmother, grandmother, and grandfather... it's almost everyone, it's a big gang, he says.
Just the latter part, having loved ones in Paris, meant a small worry ahead of the Olympic Games, and he will already be more nervous than usual when he steps into Stade de France on Saturday's qualifying round.
I think it's more pressure than anything else. But it's probably good too, it's for them that I want to make a good performance.
But it was difficult with the tickets.
How many tickets did you arrange?
You don't get tickets from the Olympic Games. I think you can buy two, he says.
I tried to help as many as I could, but it was difficult with 20.
The pole vault final takes place on Monday, starting at 19.00.
Born: November 10, 1999, in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA.
Event: Pole vault.
Medals: 1 Olympic gold, 2 World Championship golds, 1 World Championship silver, 3 European Championship golds, 2 World Championship golds (indoor), 1 European Championship gold (indoor).
World record: Set his first world record in early 2020, when he jumped 6.17 in Polish Torun, and has since then improved the height seven times to the current 6.24 meters.
Current: Enters the Paris Olympic Games with the qualifying round on Saturday.
