The 2025 Diamond League athletics season is poised to kick off Saturday in Shanghai/Keqiao, China, and the sport’s biggest global superstar is already opening up about the mixed emotions ahead of his first outdoor meet of the year. Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the unmatched pole vault world record-holder and one of track and field’s most dominant current athletes, shared his candid thoughts Friday on the eve of competition, admitting even he feels pre-event jitters as he fights to extend his unprecedented multi-year winning streak.
Born in the United States but competing for Sweden, Duplantis enters Saturday’s pole vault contest as the heavy favorite, but he will face a stacked field of elite competitors that could push him to new heights. Among his opponents is Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, who catapulted to second place on the sport’s all-time ranking earlier this year after clearing 6.17 meters at a meet in Athens. Rounding out the competitive line-up are two-time world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States and Kurtis Marschall of Australia, a two-time World Championship bronze medalist.
Duplantis’s incredible run of form makes his appearance at the Chinese season opener the most highly anticipated attraction of the weekend. The pole vault icon has not lost a competition since 2021, and he extended his own world record for the 15th time this past March, clearing an extraordinary 6.31 meters at a domestic meet in Sweden. Beyond his unbeaten streak, Duplantis brings unrivaled Olympic and world championship pedigree to the track: he is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time world champion, credentials that have cemented his status as the greatest pole vaulter in history.
In his pre-event press remarks Friday, Duplantis balanced his excitement for the new season with a honest admission of pre-competition nerves. “You always have a little bit of nerves when you’re going into your first outdoor competition, which I really like because it gets you a little bit fired up and you bring a little bit of a different type of energy,” he explained. The champion added that he is already feeling good heading into the contest, and he has a particular affinity for competing at the Chinese venue. “I really like jumping here. I love jumping when you have that nice light at night — big stadium really sets the mood. I think it’s really going to be fun. I want to jump high, as always.”
Duplantis is far from the only elite headliner set to compete this weekend. The season opener will also feature some of the biggest names in global track and field, including Kenyan middle-distance legend Faith Kipyegon, Norwegian hurdling world record holder Karsten Warholm, Botswana’s reigning Olympic 200-meter champion Letsile Tebogo, and Nigerian 100-meter hurdling star Tobi Amusan. The packed line-up ensures the 15-meet Diamond League series will get a high-energy, high-stakes start.
This year’s tour will span four continents and 15 major cities around the world, wrapping up with a two-day championship final held in Brussels, Belgium, on September 4 and 5.