What Was The Pole Vault Record Before Duplantis

Let’s be real: if you’ve seen Armand “Mondo” Duplantis soar, you’ve watched something almost mythical. He makes clearing six meters look like a casual Sunday stroll. But that raises a fun question: what was the pole vault record before Mondo turned the world upside down?

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t some ancient caveman with a bamboo stick. The previous record was a beast in its own right, held by one of the coolest, most eccentric athletes ever: Sergey Bubka. And honestly, learning about Bubka’s reign makes Mondo’s achievement feel even cooler.

Enter the “God of Pole Vault”

Sergey Bubka, a Ukrainian legend competing for the Soviet Union, dominated the sport like a tyrannosaurus with a fiberglass pole. For years, he was the only human to ever clear 6.14 meters (that’s about 20 feet and 1¾ inches, folks). He set that record indoors in 1993—a mark so absurd it felt like a glitch in the matrix.

But here’s the wild part: Bubka was famous for breaking his own world records by a single centimeter. Why? Because his contract with a shoe company paid him a bonus every single time he broke a record. So he’d clear 6.13 meters at one meet, then 6.14 at the next, milking every centimeter for cash. Genius, right?

The Great Outdoors (and the “Unbreakable” Mark)

Outdoors, Bubka’s best was 6.14 meters as well (set in 1994 in Sestriere, Italy). That record stood for 26 years. Twenty-six! Think about that—a record that survived the invention of the smartphone, the birth of TikTok, and three Olympic Games. It was the pole vault’s Mount Everest, coated in Teflon.

Was the Pole Vault Record GIVEN to MONDO DUPLANTIS, RIGHT? - YouTube

For a while, people wondered if anyone would ever touch it. Athletes like Renaud Lavillenie came close, snatching the Olympic gold in 2012 with 5.97 meters, but that Bubka mark? It was a ghost. A haunting, glorious, seemingly immortal ghost.

Then Duplantis Happened

Enter Mondo. In February 2020, the Swedish-American prodigy pole vaulted 6.17 meters indoors, finally slaying the dragon Bubka had mounted three decades earlier. And then, because he’s Mondo, he immediately smashed it again. And again. As of today, his world record is a staggering 6.23 meters (outdoors, he owns 6.26 meters). He didn’t just break the record—he turned it into a trampoline.

But here’s the takeaway that makes life more fun: records aren’t about being the only one; they’re about the chain. Bubka’s greatness gave Mondo a target. Mondo’s greatness will give some 12-year-old kid in Kansas a dream. That kid is probably practicing right now in their backyard, using a broken garden hose as a pole.

Armand Duplantis breaks pole vault world record for eighth time

Why This Should Make You Smile

You don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to get the lesson. Every personal best you hit—whether it’s running a faster mile, finishing a book, or just getting out of bed before noon—follows the same rule. Someone else’s “impossible” becomes your starting line. That’s the magic of progress.

So next time you hear “Mondo Duplantis,” pause and remember: before the magician, there was the strategist with a mustache and a golden contract. Their journey makes the spectacle richer. And hey, maybe you’ll Google “Sergey Bubka slow-motion vault” later. Spoiler: it looks like ballet, performed by a machine.

Go chase your own centimeters. They add up to something wonderful. And if you ever feel stuck, just picture Bubka grinning, cashing a check for one more centimeter of sky. Life’s most inspiring moments start with a tiny, stubborn step upward.