Lafayette's own Mondo Duplantis took the gold medal in the Olympics Tuesday for the men's pole vaulting finals. Local friends and family had an early wake up call to support the athlete from home.
"We got here at 5 o'clock," says Bob Duplantis, Mondo's Pawpaw.
"Originally we were all supposed to be in Tokyo a year ago," explains Mondo's uncle, Robert Duplantis. "We were all set to go until Covid happened and it evolved into this."
Circled around a TV, rather than an Olympic stadium, Mondo's close friends and family were excited, but not at all surprised at the results of the day based on years of success for the Lafayette native.
"We knew he was pretty special early on. Even at 5 or 6 years old he was actually pole vaulting," says Uncle Robert.
"He broke every record when he was young. Like every age record he broke, and he was a superstar from the beginning," adds Mondo's sister, Johanna.
A world record holder and an Olympic gold medalist all at 21 years old, Mondo's family says he still has a lot of gas in the tank. As the watch party wrapped up, there was already chatter about Paris in 2024.
"There is almost no limit to his potential," says his Pawpaw.
