Is Mondo The GOAT of Track & Field?

Yes.

No. Pole Vault is a Niche event

no. he does a very low participation event. an event that is very difficult to even find a coach for, even if you do have interest. very technical. very niche. very expensive. shallow talent pool.

of course he is a tremendous athlete though. and pole vault is extremely difficult to master.

Mondo doesn’t even have the most golds of a field eventer at these Olympics.

No. The pole vault is a niche event.

No, but he's is certainly a great pole vaulter.

I'm going to say Crouser mainly because the shot has always been the shot...no technological advances in the equipment like there has been in vaulting. Achievement wise, Crouser I think has more titles and his marks are just as dominant. But Mondo is a lot younger so he can surpass that.

Yes, his manoeuvring of a bendy springy stick is better than any of the fast performances on the track.

No. Pole vault is the most absurd, contrived event in T&F. Someone who is the best at an event that every able-bodied person can do is far more impressive imo. Billions of people have sprinted, jumped or thrown something; how many people have jumped on an elasticated stick planted into a hole in the ground?

I'm good at manovering a rock hard stick

No. It's a niche event plus he gets to choose his own mark to break the WR.

No.

He isn't even ahead of Crouser within his own era.

But is he an all-time legend, barrier-breaker, indomitable force that makes the heretofore impossible look (fairly) easy?

Yes. Yes, he is.

yes, it takes an amazing athlete to compete in this event.

He is probably the most dominant athlete in the modern history of the sport (maybe the entire history honestly) and that does count for something. However, given how different track is from field (single event specialists vs multiple, specialized equipment vs just running, etc.) it's very hard to directly compare. I think the clear track GOAT would be Bolt. Many other greats but none quite like him. Mondo is probably the GOAT of field though.

Usain Bolt duh

But for field you can make an argument

By like 15 I had done all the different tracks and field event types save for the pole vault.

Decades later, it is still missing.

Nah, that would be Bolt who competed in the most competitive sport ever.

Look, he is the most dominant T&F athlete ever, even more so than Crouser when you look at his age and accomplishments relatively speaking. The GOAT moniker may be a little premature but as I see it it's only a matter of time. He will rack up at least 2-3 more WC golds and definitely one more Olympic gold (if not two).

GOAT pole vaulter of course, but GOAT overall? I don't think so.

But one thing should be said: no one is more dominant in their event.

With the 1.03 odds bookmakers gave him you'd have to put $33.3 on the line to win just $1.

A $1000 bet would've netted a $30 profit. Ridiculous.