Mondo Duplantis says he hardly trains the pole vault itself anymore, yet he will walk into Stockholm on Sunday chasing the 16th world record of his career. The 26-year-old will compete at Bauhausgalan at Stockholms stadion, where he has already made one of the biggest jumps of his life.

That is why Stockholm Diamond League 2026 is drawing attention now: the meet starts at 16.00 on Sunday, and the pole vault follows about 15 minutes later. Duplantis said he usually practices vault technique only once every four weeks, because he believes physical work does more for him than repeating the event over and over.

He has been open about that approach. Duplantis said he does not need to train the discipline much to stay the best in the world, and he said he has competed four times already in 2026. Instead of loading up on technical sessions, he leans on sprint work, gym exercises, plyometrics and the kind of physical training he thinks carries him further than extra jumps would.

That method may sound unusual for a man chasing records, but it has not slowed him down. Duplantis said he broke the world record in Stockholm last year and called it one of the most special moments of his life, a memory he still uses as fuel. He said he wants that feeling again, and Stockholm gives him the same stage.

There is also a personal layer to the return. Duplantis said he has many friends in the city, including a friend from Louisiana who has not seen him jump since he was a teenager. He said it will be special to host him and hoped to put on a strong show, with the crowd at Stockholms stadion likely waiting for the same thing.

The remaining question is simple: whether Duplantis turns that low-volume approach into another record on Sunday. He has made a career out of making the difficult look routine, and Stockholm will soon show whether this one becomes his 16th world-best mark or just another night where he comes close.