The King Congratulated Duplantis: "Slept for Half an Hour"

The euphoria at Stade de France never subsided. Instead, it followed me with Armand Duplantis out into the Paris night. I slept well for half an hour and then there was a knock on the door, says the star after the OS success in France.

» Updated: September 19 2024

» Published: August 06 2024

The King Congratulated Duplantis: "Slept for Half an Hour"
Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

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The Olympic Games gold medal and the world record at a loud and electric Stade de France was just the beginning of Armand Duplantis' celebration.

The evening continued at a hotel in the capital and the party went on until six o'clock in the morning.

Then the 24-year-old was woken up by a knock on the door – and after that, the schedule was filled with interviews and other activities that needed to be done.

His voice

Part of it was to visit Sweden Arena, the media center that the Swedish Olympic Committee has during the summer games.

With a hoarse and fragile voice, he stepped into the sunny and blue-yellow courtyard.

There, he was met by people who wanted to celebrate his success on the arena on the outskirts of Paris, and among all the congratulators were King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.

It's not just a gold medal, it's also an Olympic record and a world record with one centimeter. He's a pretty clever young guy, he doesn't take too much, says the king.

He believes that Duplantis has more to give in the future.

I hope you can continue to deliver more. I usually say this: this is just the beginning. You have no idea what heights he can reach. I wish you all the best for the future.

But neither heights nor competitions are in the Swede's schedule for the near future.

Instead, a vacation awaits.

I haven't slept much, but after this, I have a week where Desiré (Inglander, girlfriend) and I will just sleep and relax, he says.

I haven't been the most fun boyfriend during the summer. I've been locked up for three months and had a strict diet. We need a vacation and it's going to be nice for both of us.

Fried chicken

Something that was already "nice" during the late Paris night – and something that Duplantis had longed for – was to be able to eat what he wanted.

During the gold celebration, his girlfriend arranged for food delivery to the venue.

Yes, she fixed fried chicken for me. It's the best gift there is. Later in the evening, I also ate pizza, so it was a real food night, says Armand Duplantis.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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