Very well said David👍🏾👏🏾

I don't know, if you were born, raised and trained in one country it seems only fair to represent that country.

@@1ena585 Is it though? Even if an athlete gets much better deals in the other country, better conditions for training/travel etc. or if they have to decide between not making it into the team because of high competition in one country and qualifying for sure in another? They do represent a country, but primarily this is their day job and their livelihood. It's only naturals to choose an option which enables you to have a sustainable career more easily.

@@1ena585 Mondo was raised as a child mostly in the US. He is an adult now and made the best decision for his future. I don't disagree with Mondo's decision because it was his decision. The US is saturated with athletes. At best, his World Records would be a 30 second side clip on Sports Center. As an American, I will follow him, because I love Track and Field. I am following Jakob Ingebrigtsen as well. Also, they are both my daughter's age (Armand just a few months older, Jakob just a few months younger) and she follows them, so it gives us a little connection.

@@wayneegli8379 Odd perception.

True

@@humoursabji4045 He only did it for money.

@@HusseinDoha he probably would have got more money if he went with usa so nah

@@ZyXxOmAn nah usa pays less money on the "prize " cos they get so many medals , but they invest a lot in the athlete

@@shrutimanrai4132 The medal prize money maybe smaller, but the sponsorships and endorsement opportunities are bigger in the US.

Hellström - what a cool name!

@@aespa690 Thanks :)

India loves Sweden

I am half Swedish and proud of it Sweden is in a league of it's own.. :) alot of talent there too some of the best!

not to mention he got to pick his dad as coach. Which is pretty cool and shows how far Sweden went to get mondo. I find it hard to imagine that the US would have even considered it. (I guess Mondo was even more happy that for that very reason his parents were able to attend the Olympics ^^)

The US trial system alone is the perfect reason to decide for Sweden. And when your mother is from Sweden: That's it. Perfect decision by Mondo.

Injuries happen, people have off days and new stars rise up. Hopefully he stays injury free but unless he retires while in his prime he will have a few losses here and there.

Eh, he recently lost. But I think he will win all the major championships (atleast most)

Eh, he recently lost. But I think he will win all the major championships (atleast most)

Dont say like this... Mondo is an absolute legend he is going to achieve a lot in the future, but just like him there are many youth stars in the making. So the competition is going to be very tough in the upcoming years.

@@zanies6288 He recently lost once. And he bounce back with 4 wins in a row

what if im deaf

@@EXXTREMEGAMER5600 Then turn the subtitles on.

Honestly… Mondo is in his own league. Best for him to leave spots for the other Americans 😂

He doesn't have the American record, Kendricks does.

@@onigbajamo He did, until they changed the rules

@@onigbajamo I checked it out. hestill has the american junior junior record but his world record doesnt count as an american record

He's a cajun from Louisiana, so he probably has a lot of french heritage since Louisiana cajuns are the descendants of the french people who settled there.

Yeah he looks like he could be French or Greek.

Nine generations back Jean Baptiste Duplantis, born in 1770 in Bordeaux, France, moved to Louisiana and married there in 1790. And on his mom's side of the family, he is Swedish.

Stahl,

Swimmer Sarah Sjöström

In general, in the U. S. there is scant interest in track & field. Mondo has much more opportunity in Europe.

That isn’t close to true. There is lots of interest in track and field in the USA.

@@lukeryan8729 Really, relatively speaking? The NFL of track & field, the Diamond League of World Athletics has ten events in Europe every year. There is one event in the United States.

Underrated comment

More like Frodo

like Usain Bolt

Kinda understandable. I don't know if it's coz fatigue or something else, but even without Mondo in the list, his rivals still struggle to pass 6m bar

If he goes cm by cm, he might miss his prime and not reach his real potential. I hope he takes full advantage of his youth now. I doubt 6.40 is possible due to limits of physics and strength. Lets see.6.29 or 6.30 will be possible but wont be easy.

At between 50,000 to 100,000 for each world record a cm at a time means more $ 😊

Unfortunately nationality does matter and has always mattered since ancient times and into the modern Olympic Games. Athletes represent nations...plain and simple! Mondo competes within the rules and the rules allow him to represent Sweden therefore as matter of fact that's all that matters. However, on personal level, it seems odd to me for an athlete to represent a nation that has played no role in their development as an athlete. Mondo is a product of the USA as much as ABBA is a product Sweden. That's a personal opinion as it pertains to nationality. With that said, I enjoy watching athletics and enjoy watching Mondo and wish him well.

He is not like Bolt, he competes in a no name sport while Bolt competed in some of the most competitive events in track and field and even in all sports. Next, Duplantis feeds of the USA's resources such as training facilities, has been trained for many years in the USA yet he chose to represent Sweden.

@@volodyamihaelovich4576 He turned his back on the country that gave him everything!

Same.

In the video they mention they offered him a job as a trainer in the Swedish team so that's why he agreed

@@andreatommasi3287 Thank you. Now, that you mentioned it I remember that.

@I am from California dei b****

@I am from California y u r talking about NEERAJ CHOPRA...he is an JAVALEIN ATHLETE...

@I am from California we are Indians...we respect even Our Enemy Also...Dts 🇮🇳Indian.. Wb u dn?

@I am from California hey its OK...They are also Human being like us..it our personal Issues...

@I am from California GOOGLE it...🤓

...and he isn't even from Sweden.

The American is your national hero?

Mondo was born and raised in the US. His father is American and Mondo even speaks English with a bit of Louisiana twang to it. He didn't leave his heritage behind, America is his heritage.

@@dynasty0019 but Sweden is his parents heritage.

@@superymariowest2403 His father is American with family roots in Louisiana since the French first settled there in the 1700's. American Cajun heritage is a parat of Mondo's heritage as much as Swedish, which came from his mother.

He's from Lafayette, Louisiana

@I am from California you are a congi bot

@I am from California they both play different sports dude. If you are talking about being handsome I don't think this type of comparison really matters in games.

@I am from California No Is your relatives from india

@UCbAQEJ3dIZNqhA55Y3k2NlQ yess

Why? What nationality are your parents? Where were they and you born? On what basis do you dislike dual citizenship? Your own?

He´s 5 ft 11 in (181 cm). Brad Walker is 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), Sam Kendricks is 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) But the coach is talking about when Mondo was 15. And as you can see in the pictures (2:11 2:39), he was a lot smaller then.

Really I didn’t notice. I love the intensity on the face. 😁

makassar, celebes

Looks more like Frodo and young Hercules from Disney.

Totally 👍🏿

PAUSE..

Those Swedish genes 😍😉

Well he got some of those looks from his dad, who is from Louisiana.

Why you run last?

with the endorsements he would have got competing for America I doubt healthcare would have been an issue. also state run healthcare has its problems.

@@poorrandall8982 yeah, it was 90% teasing

Kinda wonder what you think Swedish people look like :D And please don't say blond. Not everyone here is blond

@@kristofferhellstrom thats because Sweden has taken in a lot of people from so many countries. There is a lot of people from Africa and a lot Middle East countries. So I assume some of them get together with Swedes and if not then when they have their offspring then they would not have the typical Swedish look. Even though they were born in Sweden, they don’t look very Swedish. Yeah, I get that theyre Swedish because they were born in Sweden. But they look nothing like the real Swedes. And whether you like it or not, Swedes are just like that, meaning White, blonde, and blue-eyed.

​@@eliotsalgado9908 So if someone in Sweden has brown hair or brown eyes they aren't swedish?

@@eliotsalgado9908 do your research

@@blackmantis3130 theres no need. This is crystal clear

His mother is Swedish! 🇸🇪

What a silly comment.

That's Scandinavia for ya 🇸🇪

Sweden.

Born in the US. Has a Swedish mother who is his coach and a brother who trained and completed for Sweden. Mmm.. Kinda makes sense

@@kristofferhellstrom Ticket taker!

@@siobhan2565 What do you mean?

Don't think that anyone in that age doing sports at that level only for money. Main reson is probobly that to be able to represent the USA in major championships, you have to perform well in some competition competitions. In Sweden you do not need to that, you have longer time and more opportunities to get a tricket to Olympic. Its more long-term, but even if the competition is less in Sweden and you maybe is the best in Sweden does not mean that you can participate in the Olympics, you need to perform compared to the best in the world. But being one of the few world stars in Sweden is better in the US economy and for fame, but if you succeed in USA, it may be more money in the there than in Sweden when it's a bigger market.

He is paid by private US universities. As for why he'd represent Sweden, it grants him a little more security in selection.

Mondo splits time between Louisiana and Sweden. Since he is part of the Swedish athletics team, I doubt USAT&F gives him anything. He makes more money being on the Diamond League circuit which has many stops in Europe, and only one in North America each year. Because of his higher international profile, Mondo receives much, much more endorsement money. I mean, he ain't wearing that cat on his shirt for nothing.

The US pays nothing for him lol, he is paid by the Swedish team and have everything organised by them as well. He splits time between Sweden and the US, and when he is in the US he still uses his dad as trainer. So basically the Swedish pole vaulting coach. Pole vault is a no name sport IN THE US, track&field is huge in Europe with many events each year selling out full arenas. Mondo is one of the biggest sport stars in Sweden atm, he also has huge sponsorships.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

There is nothing to be so hateful or scornful about him, at Sweden he will be national hero without any competition for long time as only in his category, but at USA IF HE WINS an OLYMPIC GOLD still how many will remember him? Unless he becomes like Sergie Bubka? Use ur Comman sense

It was Personal Choice rather than USA 's national Interest

@@UPAKHOSALA u need to reread my comment. It was not about Mondo but about the coaches take on his dad. Mondo is the greatest of course. I thought readers would use their common sense to understand the comment.

His mother is Swedish!

You know what, it is both the government and its taxpayers who have failed to these athletes which they are really aware that being selected for Team USA or any elite National Team from around the world will take a lot of stringent procedures thus they made wise decisions to compete in Olympics under a different nation based either the father or mother side. I can't blame them.

@@karlauminga6404 Hogwash!! He did it for money and before becoming a phenomenon, qualifying in Swedish trials was easier for him. Pure and simple. Bein a sole star of a small rich country is more lucrative than being one of many stars. A calculated move that paid foe him. However, it's not fulfilling at all. He can't speak Swedish.

@@HusseinDoha Sure that Sweden has a well managed economy (if that's your perceive the country as rich) and he cannot speak Swedish freely in public. Nonetheless that it even more hogwash or plain rubbish that we (us taxpayers) are entitled to demand the athletes to go a National Team based on one's country of birth with the possibility that his/her spot may or may not be secured which is ironic that Duplantis use the ethos of US to create opportunities for himself.

The United States is the only country that does not have a government funded Olympic program. The USOPC relies on donations, fees, sponsorships, and grants to run. So unless you live in Louisiana and pay taxes to fund Mondo's local school district, then your taxes did not went into Mondo's training.

@@dynasty0019 not really. Mondo has live in his entire life in a safe stable country. With access to great training in HS and other facilities that are definitely subsidized by local, state, and federal government. The community he lived in definitely played a part in nurturing him to what he is today. So in the end, some Americans did pay for a young American to compete for Sweden.

Well sweden offered him his father as à coach and he was promised a spot in the team whereas he would've had to qualify for the us team so he made the best decision for him. I don't think it's bad for an athlete to have a choice between several countries to represent if he's linked to it somehow 🤔

sad things is hes' not the only dual national to medal for another country even though they live, learned their sport, and were mainly supported by America through their childhood into adulthood. seems weird to me that people find this acceptable.

Since his mother is Swedish, he is 50% Swedish... 😆👍

@@Thealvita he cannot speak Swedish. Hard to argue he's culturally Swedish when he can't use the language. Fact is he betrayed his nation for vainglory. I find the comments celebrating that choice far more disturbing.

@@H1ST0RYWriter His swedish is fine, he has improved a lot in the last year and is perfectly understandable. He used to spend a month in sweden every summer so it's not like he's a stranger to the country.

I think the main boost came from his parents and the pole vault pit in their backyard (who else has a pole vault pit at home?). This has nothing todo with the American system.