Armand Duplantis Honored as BBC World Sport Star of the Year

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis has been recognized as the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year for 2024. Duplantis, widely known as Mondo, is considered the greatest pole vaulter in history and experienced another year of record-breaking achievements in 2024. The 25-year-old successfully defended his Olympic title in Paris, becoming the first athlete to win back-to-back men’s pole vault championships since the 1950s. During this event, he established new Olympic and world records, marking the ninth world record of his career and his second of the year. He subsequently surpassed his own world record again in August, achieving a new best of 6.26m at the Diamond League meeting held in Silesia. Additionally, he secured a second world indoor title and a third European gold medal in 2024. “I am so honoured to win the World Sports Personality of the Year award,” Duplantis communicated to BBC One. “I am so sorry I couldn’t be there. I am back here in the States and training for the up-and-coming season.” “This award really means a lot to me.” The BBC World Sport Star of the Year was determined by votes cast by BBC Sport users. Other athletes who were shortlisted included American gymnast Simone Biles, American basketball player Caitlin Clark, Swiss wheelchair racer Catherine Debrunner, Dutch runner Sifan Hassan, and French swimmer Leon Marchand. Duplantis established new world records three times throughout 2024, beginning with a vault of 6.24m in April at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China. He then cleared a height one centimetre greater in the Olympic final in Paris, finishing 30cm ahead of silver medallist Sam Kendricks. A few weeks later in Poland, he reached an even greater height, setting the current record of 6.26m. Duplantis is the second consecutive Scandinavian athlete to receive the World Sport Star award, following Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland, who won in 2023.