Swedish Olympic champion Duplantis discusses Milan visit and meeting Ibrahimovic

AC Milan have done an interview with Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, who revealed during the summer that he is a fan of the club while he was starring at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Duplantis is widely regarded as the greatest pole vaulter of all time and it is easy to see why given that he is the current world outdoor and indoor record holder, as well as a two-time Olympic (2020 and 2024) champion, two-time World outdoor (2022 and 2023) and indoor champion, and the current European champion.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo the 24-year-old won his first Olympic gold medal then in 2022 he went up another level, breaking the world records three times and clearing six-metre-plus 22 times.

The Louisiana-born sensation picked up gold in Paris this summer, during which time it became apparent that he is a Milanista, and he was shown in the stands at San Siro alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic earlier this season.

Duplantis has now spoken during an interview with Milan TV as part of a visit to the club’s headquarters, and his comments were relayed by MilanNews.

You’re Swedish, like Ibrahimovic…

“One of the few football shirts I had as a kid was a Milan shirt. Obviously it was Zlatan’s. Nobody is greater than Ibrahimovic, especially in Sweden he is the greatest of all, there is really no comparison.”

How did your visit to the Mondo Milan Museum go?

“Crazy. I’m honoured, you shouldn’t have named it ‘Mondo’ in my honour (laughs). Jokes aside. It’s beautiful to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Mondo Milan Museum, really beautiful.”

Did you know that you drove Milan fans crazy after your victory at the Olympics when, in a Tik Tok, you wore the Milan jersey?

“I didn’t think it would have such an impact. One of the few football shirts I had as a kid was a Milan shirt. Obviously it was Zlatan’s. It was nice to see the Milan fans like that.”

Your nickname is ‘mondo’ and it’s an Italian word…

“Yes, of course. My father’s best friend is Sicilian and I get it from him, I know what world means.”

What is your connection with football?

“It’s a beautiful sport. I spent most of my life in the United States where soccer wasn’t so much a part of the culture there but every time I went back to Sweden it was all my cousin and I watched. That’s where I started to fall in love with soccer and it just kept growing.

“I played a little bit of soccer when I was younger but like I said, there wasn’t this great soccer culture where I grew up. I would have liked to play more but I was too good at pole vaulting and I took up that sport.”

What role would you play?

“I would probably be a winger, I’m fast, that’s my best quality that I could bring to the pitch.”

Let’s talk about Zlatan Ibrahimovic…

“Nobody is greater than Zlatan. Especially in Sweden he is the greatest of all, there is no one who can even begin to compare. His compliments… I don’t know, it’s strange. I think about when I was a child, when I looked up to him and he was my idol. It’s a really beautiful thing.”

Do you have the same mentality?

“He has a slightly different mentality than me, but I think we both have a hunger for victory, that desire to be the best at what we do. Hunger is useful, you have to really love what you do and then you can do it.”

What is your next goal?

“I’m trying to live in the moment, realise what I just did, be grateful for the season I had and the years past, winning the Olympics, breaking world records and everything I’ve been able to do.

“I’m going to keep pushing to achieve more and more, I know what kind of athlete I am, right now I’m in off-season mode where I don’t train and I relax, I come to Milan, I go to the games and I’m fine.

“But next year I have World Championships to win. I want to try to win everything again, jump even higher and continue to give my best. Always the same.”