Expectations are high that Armand Duplantis will set a historic world record in pole vault at the Diamond League gala at Stockholm Stadium on Sunday.
It would be the first track and field world record in Sweden set by a Swede since Patrik Sjöberg jumped 2.42 meters in high jump at the same stadium on June 30, 1987.
"Mondo" has failed previously when he tried, for example, in last year's DL gala and most recently indoors in his own gala in Uppsala in March.
Someone who knows how it is to set a world record at home is Norwegian hurdler star Karsten Warholm. As recently as Thursday, the 29-year-old ran 32.67 seconds on the unusual distance 300 meters hurdles in the DL gala at Bislett Stadium in Oslo.
There is no better place, he says.
"Wants to share it"
About four years ago, Warholm set double world records in 400 hurdles in a few weeks, first at Bislett in July (46.70) and then at the OS in Tokyo (45.94) in August.
Even when I did it at the OS, it's still so that it's greater to do it at home. You want to share it with the people who really want to see you succeed. It's a fantastic feeling. I recommend "Mondo" to try it tomorrow, Warholm says.
At Friday's press conference, Armand Duplantis put pressure on himself to achieve what he lacks among several OS-, VM- and EM-medals as well as eleven earlier world records.
The 25-year-old, who has a Swedish mother and an American father, will have friends and family in the stands at the stadium, which according to the organizer is expected to be fully packed with tens of thousands of spectators.
Presses himself
That's the only thing I'm thinking about right now. I just hope it's good wind so that it gives me a chance, says "Mondo".
In Oslo last time, it was cooler in the evening and Duplantis finished the competition on the stadium record 6.15. The weather forecast for Sunday evening in Stockholm looks warmer, around 20 degrees. The men's pole vault competition starts at 17.17.
It feels like the form is there to jump 6.28. I put a lot of pressure on myself if the weather is good, says "Mondo" whose latest world record is 6.27 from February.
