I wonder though who is most marketable from a strictly commercial standpoint. I mean, both are seemingly good looking and charismatic guys.
Oh?
They may both have traditionally handsome features, I would say that Duplantis is much more of a 'take him home to meet mom and dad' look.
If you ran into him on the street, Duplantis looks like a finance guy who likes sports. Ingebrigtsen looks an ex-rocker who still clings to the haircut and won't erase the tattoos.
Mondo is a bigger superstar than Jakob despite Jakob holding the WR in multiple events in a more popular sport (running). Yet all my friends and family know who Mondo is, but no one knows who Jakob is.
Pole vaulting is a niche sport. Yet Mondo has 2x as many instagram followers as Jakob.
So, why the F*CK is Mondo a bigger superstar than Jakob?
He has a longer pole. Will always be more popular with the ladies.
Jacob would had been so much more likable if he wouldn't be so arrogant, I have seen him live in races and he is not a good loser and during the qualifications in Paris he was showboating which in my opinion is not very respectful to his competitors even tho he is so much better. Mondo is just extremely likable and 7.17 is hard but not relatable to many, you literally can see Mondo seeing these extreme heights which is more impressive for a spectator.
Mondo is a bigger superstar than Jakob despite Jakob holding the WR in multiple events in a more popular sport (running). Yet all my friends and family know who Mondo is, but no one knows who Jakob is.
Pole vaulting is a niche sport. Yet Mondo has 2x as many instagram followers as Jakob.
So, why the F*CK is Mondo a bigger superstar than Jakob?
Mondo chose to compete for Sweden and we love him for it. His Swedish has gotten very good the last few years.
OTOH, he has maintained his American showmanship. He is getting the best of both worlds.
I suspect he would not be as well-liked internationally, had he competed for USA. Let's be honest. An American acting like he does would get some hate, but it's more fun/acceptable for someone from a small country.
Mondo is a bigger superstar than Jakob despite Jakob holding the WR in multiple events in a more popular sport (running). Yet all my friends and family know who Mondo is, but no one knows who Jakob is.
Pole vaulting is a niche sport. Yet Mondo has 2x as many instagram followers as Jakob.
So, why the F*CK is Mondo a bigger superstar than Jakob?
One is handsome, fresh-faced, friendly. The other is not handsome, tattooed, smug and arrogant. Casuals will always go for the first.
Mondo is insanely good at one niche event (which lacks competition).
If Jakob would have crushed the 1500 m, winning Olympic gold again and running WR etc he would be as famous n big superstar. Even more huge than Mondo.
But because he is human and looses from time to time he does not get the recoqnition he deserves.
dumbest take in the whole thread ⬆️
This is actually the correct take. Jakob loses. Mondo doesn’t. If Jakob had been undefeated since 2021, he would the a huge star. His star dims with each new person that claims best 1500m runner in the world.
A casual person turns on the TV. They can watch the pole vault easily because the event takes 10 seconds. They are impressed.
They see a bunch of people running in a 1500m or 5000m and have no idea how much longer the race will go on for. They are changing the channel before they find out who won.
The pole vault is probably a more viewer friendly event to the casual sports fan.
This. ^^^
"Attention Span" is the key to mainstreaming track & field in America.
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