by Larry Eder
RunBlogRun opines: Mondo Duplantis is a big thing. In the US circles, he was a big thing in the high school sport. In Sweden, he is huge. Track & Field is a huge sport in Sweden and they have been looking for the next generation of Swedish stars. Mondo will have a bit of pressure on him. At the European Champs, Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.00 meters and 6.05 meters to take the win.
And this is where Kajsa Berquvist stepped in. Kasja has an Olympic bronze medal, two World Indoor golds, one World Outdoor gold, and two World outdoor bronzes, a 2.06 meter outdoors and 2.08 meters indoors HJ. Now retired, Kasja is a huge TV personality and she is involved in much of the coverage of the sport of athletics in her country. During TV commentary, EME News is suggesting that Kasja Berquvist noted that Mondo Duplantis should have tried the WR. She was convinced that Mondo could have cleared 6.20m.
Berquvist knows something about WRs, as she set the World Indoor in 2.08 meters. Kasja was a savvy athlete, and she uses that experience in her commentating.
Was Mondo’s retirement at 6.10 meters a bad decision?
That was really up to Mondo. His win at the Europeans was a paradigm changer. The emotion and level of performance needed by Duplantis in his Berlin competition was unprecedented.
While Swedish media is spending pages of media on this crisis, my guess is that Mr. Duplantis will have a few more chances to set a WR.
