Meet Mondo: LSU freshman record-breaking pole vaulting phenom

[@kckcmctcrc]

His Louisiana HS Pole Vault record is going to be tough to break.

[@graysonadams2485]

I'd hate vaulting at that school lol

[@AnvithReddyN]

Here after 6.25m WR at paris

[@ritwikjs]

here after 6.26 in switzerland!

[@trevorruth3318]

“It’s a good start to my career but i feel I still have a lot of things left to accomplish” and a little over a year later he breaks the world record

[@neilldickenson6006]

Trevor Ruth and does it again a week later

[@alh.3025]

Breaks outdoor record as well

[@linusettemo9375]

And now winning an Olympic gold medal

[@Chris-jq1qb]

@@linusettemo9375 now another word record and world champion

[@3JJ3]

jus broke it again

[@DrAdnan]

We’re seeing a pole vaulting legend in action

[@danialkhan3959]

you were right

[@YujiroHanmaaaa]

you saw the future

[@ahmadrizqi4634]

and now he's an olympic gold medal, impressive mondo!!!

[@delilahpuddingstash5592]

Welcome to the LSU family Mondo!!! I know you will make us all proud...

[@delilahpuddingstash5592]

Just set an NCAA record yesterday at LSU

[@gaila.9852]

Mondo seems really nice. I'm rooting for him.

[@Knights2theEnd]

Look how high his shoulders are on his body and he has long arms. Geometrically well suited for pole vaulting.

[@aud338]

Knights2theEnd it’s probably because his muscles developed that way after pole vaulting from such a young age. his dad was a world famous pole vaulter.

[@kawhicantisniffyourleotard878]

aud doesnt work like that

[@pandachong7942]

michael hunt IV yeah it does

[@aditisk99]

It looks like he slouches.

[@Liface]

​@@aud338it's about genetics.

[@AverageGoofay]

So he lives in the U.S., and trains in the U.S., but competes for Sweden?

[@headintheclouds6935]

Hes a swedish citizen i believe

[@simonmcvittyostborg5638]

Thomas Vorm yes

[@pandachong7942]

He was also born in the US

[@simonmcvittyostborg5638]

It doesn’t matter. He competes for the country he wants to compete for.

[@kofinater]

His Mom's swedish, which gives him the rights to compete under Sweden by the rules. There are more egregious exploits of these rules such as oil rich countries granting citizenship to Africans to compete.

[@bradmayhew1234]

Go Mondo!!! Get that WR

[@Simon-gq8wn]

Olympic gold winner and WR holder. Proud Swede :)

[@siatengniyo8013]

And now he won the gold medal in tokyo 2020 olympics

[@Afrolucho]

2 years later and here we are

[@markdowding5737]

Now he is the undisputed pole vault goat

[@AbiSaysThings]

It's funny that Americans will tell you that their great great grandmother from Cork makes them Irish but have a problem with this guy representing a country he still has an actual living connection to 😭

[@edwardr8826]

people really don't care only around olympic time because we fight china for gold and it's not even the media just a few randoms complaining online

[@dubio77]

Yup, it’s bizarre, their reactions to this.

[@jimmyd8206]

I read that the reason he represents Sweden, is because he loves Swedish Fish Candy.

[@suntalunta]

2 time Olympic Gold Medalist 6.25 m World and Olympic Record

[@wpt729fx]

This aged really well!

[@TJ543345]

Sverige 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

[@tomadamo3226]

Humble dude

[@DrAdnan]

How do people not skewer themselves on the pole?

[@ShnugFlug]

Adnan A Some of them do.

[@anonymoususer1179]

He went to my school

[@colorz-walrus9243]

Acadiana

[@colorz-walrus9243]

I mean laffyette high

[@mareyplana8358]

Yay

[@lukyguy1240]

Tell me how his dad was an American pole vaulter, the kid grew up in Louisiana, and he's representing Sweden. That's wrong.

[@darrelltufto5891]

You watched a clip of the European Championship. Kind of hard to represent the US there.

[@lukyguy1240]

@@darrelltufto5891 Yeah. Very few Americans. Because Mondo is American, he shouldn't be there, representing Sweden.

[@kckcmctcrc]

Darrell, Point taken, but when if comes time for the Olympics and other international competitions whose flag will he wear? I'm thinking Sweden I mean have you seen the women on the Swedish T&F team?

[@paskehttii]

His dad is American and his mom is Swedish. He likely has dual citizenship (or had it at some point) and represents his mother’s country as a way to honor that side of the family that he had so little exposure to. Not that uncommon for people that grew up in America to represent their parent’s country. It’s part of their culture.

[@selin1587]

21JeffStreet If their parents are from that country then they have full connection to it tf? you thought you did something by saying that but you didn’t. that’s part of their culture if their parents are from that country

[@toxicpositivity9341]

Trying to figure out how he represents Sweeden tbh

[@toxicpositivity9341]

@James Bond not only that, but so was his dad apparently. Idk how it's allowed.

[@fuhleep7734]

@James Bond so because hes proud of his heritage that's fucked up? Gtfo of here haha

[@Iamheggemo]

@James Bond lel you're everywhere in these comments. Reasoning was that Sweden invited him and pushed for him to compete for them. Apperently it isn't as straight forward in the U.S and so the family preferred the direct contact. Just wish he spoke some swedish though hahah

[@bobsaget7315]

I thinks it’s so that he can compete in the european championships which has some of the best track and field athletes in the world. Whereas in the US he would be limited to college competition which is far less competitive.

[@MrWigglyyy]

@James Bond You must be the saltiest person in this comment section. He makes Sweden look good, be happy.

[@oliviahelmig9787]

He’s literally my idol. My everything. My inspiration. Like if I meet him it’ll be like meeting Jesus.

[@Comeoffitman]

Will he win complete for and Americans?

[@normaljoe1495]

You guys already have som many great athletes, let us have him 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

[@bradendye3031]

Joel Wadell he wasn’t born in Sweden sorry, that like saying I would be a German in the Olympics because I come from German decent

[@jowbloe3673]

He has already competed in international events for Sweden, winning the European Championships in 2018.

[@witty2898]

@@normaljoe1495 no

[@MrWigglyyy]

@@bradendye3031 If your mother was born in Germany, competed in the Olympics for Germany, and you had German citizenship, then yes it would be exactly like that. Be grateful he chose to represent Sweden.

[@DimitriosKvs]

Perhaps the greatest Swedish athlet of all times.

[@dylangielen11]

Did anyone else think it meant he broke the most poles

[@jakel.2150]

no

[@infinitti6436]

No, Dylan. We did not.

[@dylangielen11]

Why

[@globalko]

As a Swede it's honestly BS that he is competing for us. He doesn't even speak Swedish, never lived in Sweden. Like... wat?

[@RespectedSpice]

Main background is sweden

[@noahoxley6]

Never seen anyone salty they have one of the best ever representing their country.

[@bremCZ]

@@noahoxley6 I've seen plenty.

[@TheEliteGamer345]

James Bond well yeah you could say that but why do you think athletes come to America? Why would you stay somewhere where you didn't have the opportunity you could have? I don't think anybody was mad at Andrew Wiggins when he goes to Canada to compete in the Olympics.

[@TraumaER]

Pepe's bodega 🇺🇸 > 🇸🇪

[@NoodlezSleeps]

Damn Moose, you tight.

[@GyariSan1]

The brothers don’t look alike at all

[@aditisk99]

Yeah!! 😬

[@МарицаСамебелашвили]

Красиво Сложен Феноменально

[@nh3028]

Not like hes going to break a world record or anything...

[@landonbroussard429]

I’m from Jennings

[@liceous]

He’s cute

[@rcrador]

Mondo, we birthed you, trained you, raised you. Your Dad was a huge inspiration. Please don't make some other country the world leader because it's easier. Do the right thing

[@gaila.9852]

His family is okay with it. Get over it.

[@danepotmo2513]

I'm American...I'm fine with his choice. His mother is Swedish, he has always been a dual national. Sweden has good values, scores far higher with societal metrics than the US. Can't blame him for preferring to associate with Sweden over the US in this Century.

[@josephleonard6695]

@@danepotmo2513 glad you used the word 'century'

[@ritwikjs]

@@danepotmo2513 the silver medalist was an american college athlete, so the states has a young vaulter to be immensely proud of as well

[@rileysinclair5980]

That's a nasty color for a gym

[@user-gb3rd6wk7z]

What do you think about his English? For me, his English is very natural . Because What I’m speaking is Engrish. So tell me about American’s opinions.

[@watcherwlc53]

he grew up speaking English

[@saulnores3477]

0:15 it's not the fourth best pole vault of all time. Bubka alone jumped more than that height more than four times.

[@irishhuskie2585]

I'm pretty sure they're only counting jumpers' best heights.

[@saulnores3477]

@@irishhuskie2585 I know. But it's not correctly said and it may confuse people.

[@michaelnorth2055]

@@saulnores3477 he's the 4th best ever, that's stupid to count individual PR's, that is irrelevant when its a competitive sport being compared to other athletes

[@saulnores3477]

@@michaelnorth2055 He is the 4th best pole vaulter tied with Tarasov and Markov, but his best jump is not even in the top 12 of all time. I was correcting grammar.

[@jowbloe3673]

Appreciate the clarification. Why not just say he is the fourth best vaulter of all time? Words matter, get them right.

[@mts7274]

He grew up exclusively in the US, but they refer to him as a "Swedish-America." 🥴

[@YujiroHanmaaaa]

His mom was born in Sweden. If terms like Chinese-American, Italian-American and Nigerian-American exists, so does Swedish-American

[@mts7274]

@@YujiroHanmaaaa Why is Elon Musk not referred to as "African-American"?

[@YujiroHanmaaaa]

@@mts7274 actually Elon Musk is an African American. He was Born in Africa and He now is an U.S. American citizens, so yes He is an African American

[@mts7274]

@@YujiroHanmaaaa "Why is Elon Musk not referred to as"

[@YujiroHanmaaaa]

@@mts7274 To me he is an african american

[@bencox8870]

He best be wearing red white and blue in the 2020 olympics.

[@aditisk99]

Well about that......

[@GbawlZ]

I'm sorry, but he's not a "Swedish-American", he was born in Louisiana, he went to K-12 and college here, and he still lives here for more than half of the year. He didn't even know the Swedish language at the time of this interview --- he didn't learn it until 2020 at a basic level and to this day, he lacks the fluency to comfortably be interviewed in Swedish. He is not a Swedish-American, he is an American whose mother was born and raised in Sweden. If you were born and grew up in America, you are not Swedish-American, you are a second-generation American, period. I don't question his right to compete for whichever country he wants, but it's just bizarre that he has no connection to Sweden other than a birthright citizenship from his mother AND he didn't even care enough to learn the Swedish language until the pandemic, as a 20+ year old, nor did his mother care enough to teach it in the home when he was a child. It sounds like someone has a major identity crisis on their hands. According to him, to this day, he spends his winters in Louisiana and his summers in Sweden. He treats Sweden the way that retirees treat Kennebunkport or Martha's Vineyard. He should be forced to relinquish either his US or Swedish citizenship, so we can see what he really considers himself, what a fraud.

[@watcherwlc53]

what do you really know about his life? his thoughts? his attitudes? you seem bent out of shape about this. But do you even know him personally? Have you ever spoken to him?

[@GbawlZ]

@@watcherwlc53 Considering you gravedug my comment a year later, it seems like YOU are bent out of shape, I'm not even going to respond because I frankly don't give a sh*t. By the way, Google exists, you can find out answers to "his life", "his thoughts", and "his attitudes", I'm not doing your homework for you, but there is a reason I posted what I posted. Please do basic research next time, weirdo. Please, no more replies at 1:00 AM, because they will not even be entertained, creep.

[@toaster182]

Lmao cope. He chose to represent Sweden and binned the US

[@Firstname_Surname]

I was completely with you up until the last sentence. I don't think he should be forced to relinquish citizenship, that sounds completely ridiculous, on what grounds exactly??? All the rest I completely agree, I think it's absolutely unpatriotic and betrayal of the country that molded you into who you are. But I guess to each their own...

[@dubio77]

Gee, triggered much? Sounds like you’re the one with issues….

[@dylanb2086]

SCREW mondo - competing for sweden.