The world champion pole vaulter and Olympic gold medalist Armand "Mondo" Duplantis gave an interview to the Rossoneri club's official channel, talking about his connection with soccer and Milan.
These are his words:
“Video after the Olympics wearing a Milan shirt? I didn’t think it would have such an impact, but it did. One of the few football shirts I had as a kid was a Milan one, and of course, it was a Zlatan shirt. No one is better than Zlatan, especially in Sweden. He is the greatest of all, there’s no comparison."
"The Casa Milan museum is incredible, I’m honoured. You shouldn't have named it “Mondo” after me, but you did (laughs). Seriously though, it’s wonderful to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the Mondo Milan Museum. Really amazing."
Duplantis continued:
"My father’s best friend is Sicilian, and I got the nickname “Mondo” from him, which means 'world' in Italian. At first, it was 'Mondo Man'; that’s what I was called when I was very young, then I shortened it to 'Mondo'", as relayed via MilanPress.it.
On his love for football:
"I think football is a beautiful sport. I spent much of my life in the U.S., where football wasn’t so deeply rooted in the local culture, but every time I returned to Sweden, it was the only thing my cousin and I watched. That’s when I started falling in love with football, and my interest continued to grow. I played a bit of football when I was younger, but as I said, its culture wasn’t that big where I grew up. I would’ve liked to play more because it’s such a beautiful game, but I was too good at pole vaulting, so I pursued that sport. I’d probably be a winger, I’m fast, and that’s my best quality that I could bring to the field."
On Zlatan Ibrahimovic:
"No one is bigger than Zlatan, especially in Sweden. There’s no one you can even remotely compare to him. His compliments… I don’t know, it’s strange, especially when I think that as a kid, he was my idol. It’s a very nice thing. He has a different mentality from mine, but I think we both have that hunger for victory. Everyone does. That desire to be the best or close to the best. The hunger for victories is essential, as is the dedication, but I think it’s also about passion. You have to love what you do. If you truly find what you love, then you can make it.
Duplantis on his next goal:
"I’m trying to live in the moment, realise what I’ve just achieved, and be grateful for the season I’ve had and the past years, winning the Olympics, breaking world records, and everything I’ve managed to do. I’ll keep pushing to achieve even more. I know the kind of athlete I am, and right now, I’m in off-season mode where I don’t train and just relax, come to Milan, watch matches, and enjoy myself. But next year, I’ve got world championships to win. I want to try to win everything again, jump even higher, and keep giving my all. Always the same.”
