The Finland-Sweden athletics international debut for Sweden was a disappointment for the Swedish-American athlete Johanna Duplantis who finished sixth and last in the women's pole vault at Stockholm Stadium.
She cleared the entry height of 3.93 meters in the first attempt but then failed to clear 4.13 and was several decimeters from her personal record of 4.39 set earlier this year. The Finn Elina Lampela won with 4.53.
Now Johanna Duplantis is heading back to her home country USA, but plans to return to Sweden later this year.
Back in the winter
I'm going home and training hard. Hopefully, I'll be back in the winter and be ready to give what I have, says the 22-year-old, who does her interviews with Swedish journalists in English.
In the beginning of his career, her three years older big brother Armand Duplantis also did his interviews in English, but "Mondo" now mostly speaks Swedish with Swedish media.
Johanna Duplantis is practicing.
I've taken lessons in Swedish this summer and, yes, I want to continue doing that. I want to continue learning Swedish. I've learned a lot this summer, she says and continues:
"Very good teacher"
My teacher is my mom's old teacher. I have a very good teacher. I'm ready to learn Swedish.
Johanna and Armand Duplantis' mom and dad are Helena and Greg Duplantis. Helena Duplantis, formerly Hedlund, is from Avesta in Dalarna and moved to the USA in the 1980s.
The former multi-event athlete began studying and training at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. That's where she met the pole vaulter Greg. The family lives in Lafayette, also in the state of Louisiana, near the university.
Armand Duplantis started competing for his mom's home country because the Swedish Athletics Association early on offered support in various forms. Johanna Duplantis has followed in his footsteps.
On Sunday, Sweden took revenge for the double loss in last year's Finland-Sweden athletics international in Helsinki and won both on the men's side (252–201) and women's side (242.5–211.5) during the 100th anniversary in Stockholm.
