ooh look at me i'm mondo duplantis i just set the wr for the 15th time and got another $250k bonus, i'm gonna go home to my swedish supermodel wife while listening to my hot new single.
f*ck you man
This is a funny post, but also, good for Mondo. If he's gaming the system, so be it; he only has so many years in the spotlight to get paid. He is making a living doing an honest physical task with his body. He is ultimately making a lot less money than some people who sit on their asses trading other people's money around, or plundering weaker foreign nations to get rich.
I can support the logic that he is gaming the system. A man has to pay his bills. At some point I hope that he decides to try for a more "Beamonesque" record that may remain unbroken for decades rather than the tedious incremental one upping. True GOAT style. Maybe he can negotiate a deal beforehand with his sponsors that will set him up with a recurring compensation deal that will last as long as his record does.
Mondo haters: If this was the mile Mondo has lowered the previous records holders mile time from 3:43 to 3:37. He's run under 3:43 14 times. Remember, the guy 2 records back 'vaulted' the equivalent of 3:44 (Bubka) was considered an untouchable Usain Bolt type GOAT.
He's farming the least competitive event in the sport. It's not comparable. It's more like he farmed a 4:00 to a 3:55.
First off props to Mondo. Consummate star, consummate professional. Hosts his own meet and sets a WR for his fans. unreal. Seeing him break the WR at Eugene '22 for the world title is an unforgettable moment in my life.
secondly:
Hi Becca @polevaultpower,
If you're willing, I'd like to engage with you a little further on this to try and better understand the statement put up by d1pv. Idk who d1pv is, but I know who you are and respect your input so I'm directing this at you instead of at d1pv. I'm a distance runner, but I can sprint. So in that regard I know what it feels like to sprint, and I can appreciate what sprinters do b/c I cannot do it nearly as well. I have a great admiration and appreciation for field events, but I have no idea what it feels like to actually PV, or LJ, or TJ b/c I haven't done them and I'd probably hurt myself trying. I'm not silly enough to think that vaulting 6.31 or 6.0 or 5.8 or 4.0 is easy.
With that preamble - I still find it hard to swallow the idea that Mondo attempting or achieving a WR in practice is like a runner attempting or achieving a WR in practice. The premise of my disbelief is based on this: a field athlete can make multiple complete attempts at a WR in the same series (either in practice or in competition). If mondo had failed on attempt 1, he very realistically could have come back in attempt 2 or 3 and broken the WR. If Cole Hocker attempted a WR and came up 0.1s or 1.0s or 10s short, there is effectively 0% chance he could come back and make a second attempt that day or even in subsequent days. There is a psychological component here where field athletes are honed to attempt something, fail, and come back stronger (whereas runners are not) - but ignoring the psychology and just focusing on the physiology: there is still no way a runner can extend themselves that much and try to repeat the effort. I know this b/c I have experienced running as fast as I can, and I know there is nothing left afterward. So with that said - I have trouble believing Mondo couldn't attempt and achieve 6.31 in practice and come out the next day or the next hour or the next series and do it again. But based on what you're saying I'm wrong. I believe you, but I would appreciate anything you can add to help me understand why I'm wrong so that I don't have to just tell myself "it's true b/c that's what pole vaulters say".
Thanks in advance.
It’s as simple as was stated above. In practice you aren’t running quite as fast and you aren’t hitting the pole quite as aggressively. He is using poles that are a little softer in practice and holding a little lower.
You’re right that it’s not apples to apples to compare a mile world record attempt to a pole vault world record attempt, but pole vaulters aren’t normally attempting world records in practice, Mondo himself has stated this many times.
Another thing to consider is that in practice vaulters are working on specific technical things and most practice over a bungee instead of a crossbar.
Mondo isn’t just vaguely trying to “pole vault higher” in practice, he has a specific piece of the puzzle that he is working on. Some practices that might translate into big jumps but more often that’s not the primary focus.
And no, pole vaulters can’t necessarily just repeat the same effort the next day, the body needs time to recover. It’s not the same kind of recovery that someone needs after a marathon, but it’s still a recovery.
First off props to Mondo. Consummate star, consummate professional. Hosts his own meet and sets a WR for his fans. unreal. Seeing him break the WR at Eugene '22 for the world title is an unforgettable moment in my life.
secondly:
Hi Becca @polevaultpower,
If you're willing, I'd like to engage with you a little further on this to try and better understand the statement put up by d1pv. Idk who d1pv is, but I know who you are and respect your input so I'm directing this at you instead of at d1pv. I'm a distance runner, but I can sprint. So in that regard I know what it feels like to sprint, and I can appreciate what sprinters do b/c I cannot do it nearly as well. I have a great admiration and appreciation for field events, but I have no idea what it feels like to actually PV, or LJ, or TJ b/c I haven't done them and I'd probably hurt myself trying. I'm not silly enough to think that vaulting 6.31 or 6.0 or 5.8 or 4.0 is easy.
With that preamble - I still find it hard to swallow the idea that Mondo attempting or achieving a WR in practice is like a runner attempting or achieving a WR in practice. The premise of my disbelief is based on this: a field athlete can make multiple complete attempts at a WR in the same series (either in practice or in competition). If mondo had failed on attempt 1, he very realistically could have come back in attempt 2 or 3 and broken the WR. If Cole Hocker attempted a WR and came up 0.1s or 1.0s or 10s short, there is effectively 0% chance he could come back and make a second attempt that day or even in subsequent days. There is a psychological component here where field athletes are honed to attempt something, fail, and come back stronger (whereas runners are not) - but ignoring the psychology and just focusing on the physiology: there is still no way a runner can extend themselves that much and try to repeat the effort. I know this b/c I have experienced running as fast as I can, and I know there is nothing left afterward. So with that said - I have trouble believing Mondo couldn't attempt and achieve 6.31 in practice and come out the next day or the next hour or the next series and do it again. But based on what you're saying I'm wrong. I believe you, but I would appreciate anything you can add to help me understand why I'm wrong so that I don't have to just tell myself "it's true b/c that's what pole vaulters say".
Thanks in advance.
It’s as simple as was stated above. In practice you aren’t running quite as fast and you aren’t hitting the pole quite as aggressively. He is using poles that are a little softer in practice and holding a little lower.
You’re right that it’s not apples to apples to compare a mile world record attempt to a pole vault world record attempt, but pole vaulters aren’t normally attempting world records in practice, Mondo himself has stated this many times.
Another thing to consider is that in practice vaulters are working on specific technical things and most practice over a bungee instead of a crossbar.
Mondo isn’t just vaguely trying to “pole vault higher” in practice, he has a specific piece of the puzzle that he is working on. Some practices that might translate into big jumps but more often that’s not the primary focus.
And no, pole vaulters can’t necessarily just repeat the same effort the next day, the body needs time to recover. It’s not the same kind of recovery that someone needs after a marathon, but it’s still a recovery.
First, nice to see you after the demise of the TFN boards.
I thought I read that Bubka had an unspecified practice PR that was higher than his WR. that doesn’t alter your point though.
I suspect people would better understand what Mondo is doing by imagining how completely is dominating the all time list. Bubka is the only one I’m aware of to do that in any event.
First, nice to see you after the demise of the TFN boards.
I thought I read that Bubka had an unspecified practice PR that was higher than his WR. that doesn’t alter your point though.
I suspect people would better understand what Mondo is doing by imagining how completely is dominating the all time list. Bubka is the only one I’m aware of to do that in any event.
I take anything said about Bubka outside of his competition results with a big grain of salt because at this point I think a lot of it has been exaggerated or completely made up over the years. Language barriers probably played a role in this as well.
Bubka also competed in a very different era in terms of drug testing. I think in the era built on steroids, it was a lot more common in practice to grab huge poles and have your coach give you a big shove on the back as you jumped so you could get in the pit on them.
Between Kevin Dare’s death, women pole vaulting, and the internet helping to spread new ideas about training, that approach is less common these days. Demi Payne trained like that and well…
So who knows, maybe Bubka cleared a higher bar in practice than in meets, but that’s not how Mondo trains today.
Mondo haters: If this was the mile Mondo has lowered the previous records holders mile time from 3:43 to 3:37. He's run under 3:43 14 times. Remember, the guy 2 records back 'vaulted' the equivalent of 3:44 (Bubka) was considered an untouchable Usain Bolt type GOAT.
He's farming the least competitive event in the sport. It's not comparable. It's more like he farmed a 4:00 to a 3:55.
Agreed. It is - without question - the least competitive event in track & field.
Every person in America runs a mile in PE. .00001% of people ever attempt a vault.
For elite vaulters (especially Mondo) actually vaulting is the easy part of practice and most would be surprised how little actual intense high bar vaulting is done at that level in training. Most American distance runners perception of vaulting is from watching their high school teammate vaulters, usually uncoached or under-coached, just hang out at the PV pit goofing off trying 10-12 foot vaults for hours. Meanwhile they're vomiting after repeats so think their event is harder.
Mondo pretty much perfected his technique years ago. He's getting better because he is training away from the pit to become faster, stronger, more agile, and more focused so he can hold higher on a longer, stiffer pole. As he ages he's improving every year because he works hard away from the pit. What he's managed to do- get stronger and faster while keeping his body weight down- is from hard work and discipline.
Pole vaulting well is one of the most difficult athletic things to do on this planet. I'd put it up there with the highest levels of big wave surfing and solo rock climbing. The level of fitness/skill needed combined with danger weeds out people quickly. The elite who do these things well make it look easy. To actually master these extreme sports is frightening and almost everyone who tries quits at very basic level. In many ways it's the opposite of running. Everyone can relate to the feeling of running fast. Tens of thousands of runners can know what it feels like to run 75-90% of a world record mile pace for a mile. It's a great feeling. Few people, even with years of training, can vault 75-90% of 6.31 and feel what it's like to vault high.
MacDaddy, In the USA the hammer throw is by far the least competitive event. For the half of high schools that still pole vault at their track meets, there's usually a half dozen kids vaulting anywhere from 5' and up. At those schools I'd say more than 1% of the student body probably tried to vault at least once in track practice. At the peak of TandF (late 60's), every boy at my middle school during the 4 week 'track unit' got to try to vault over a two day vaulting class. It was probably the most popular two days of the year.
MacDaddy, In the USA the hammer throw is by far the least competitive event. For the half of high schools that still pole vault at their track meets, there's usually a half dozen kids vaulting anywhere from 5' and up. At those schools I'd say more than 1% of the student body probably tried to vault at least once in track practice. At the peak of TandF (late 60's), every boy at my middle school during the 4 week 'track unit' got to try to vault over a two day vaulting class. It was probably the most popular two days of the year.
Hammer has far fewer participants than pole vault since most people never get to try it in high school, but race walk is the least competitive event in the US and it’s not even close.
This sentiment has been posted a million times, there's no way he's regularly vaulting this high in practice, he's definitely using larger poles in competition, it'd be like saying Hocker is running mile repeats in 3:45 in practice.
Competition gives you more speed = can use larger poles.
I get the WR fatigue, I really do. What he's doing over and over again is totally ridiculous though.
Hammer has far fewer participants than pole vault since most people never get to try it in high school, but race walk is the least competitive event in the US and it’s not even close.
Most people have picked up a heavy object and thrown it before, there is no similar translation regarding pole vaulting. That's why the event is such a joke.
Throwing events make sense because they serve a different type of athlete, the pole vault serves nobody.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
I echo the sentiment; I'm glad to set you Becca and miss the T&F board a lot.
The poster who called the event with little skill demonstrated their bias and cluelessness. The decathletes are among the most skilled and fit athletes around and despite their speed and strength not many of the top ones can vault higher than the women's.
I have officiated the vault for a quarter century but am probably doing my last meet in seven weeks.