Yardbarker
x

Robert Griffin III believes that Armand Duplantis [Mondo Duplantis] is the best pole vaulter of his generation and possibly ever. On Saturday, the Swede once again broke the men’s pole vault world record during the Diamond League season-opening meet in Xiamen, China.

Any football fan who keeps themselves updated on social media should be aware that RG3 is a sports fanatic. Even though he is a former NFL quarterback, his field of interest is diverse. 

On Saturday, April 20, he was watching Armand Duplantis break the men’s pole vault record for the 8th time in his career. He cleared 6.24 meters (20 feet, 5 inches), and with this, broke the world record in back-to-back meets. At September’s Diamond League Final in Eugene, Oregon, the 24-year-old easily cleared 6.23 meters.

Duplantis made up his mind that he would achieve his goal after a disappointing indoor meet in February 2023. He had six chances to clear the 6.24, but for some reason or another, it remained unsuccessful until his first outdoor attempt in 2024 in Xiamen.

After witnessing history being made, Robert Griffin III opened his X account (formerly Twitter) and hailed the 24-year-old from Sweden.

Mondo Duplantis is the GREATEST pole vaulter the world has ever seen, and he just broke his own world record for the 8th time, clearing 6.24m. RGIII wrote.

Duplantis’ next goal would be to conquer 6.25 meters. Managing to accomplish that would make him the first man to clear 20 feet, 6 inches.

Robert Griffin III raced an F1 car which was driven by David Coulthard

Before watching Duplantis on television, the former Washington Commanders quarterback was in DC at Pennsylvania Avenue. He was among the thousands of fans lined up to watch Formula 1 racers zoom past the iconic road in a championship-winning car.

F1 Champions OracleRed Bull Racing came up with the idea of giving the fans a taste of the F1 fever and its ever-growing popularity. The main attraction was retired driver David Coulthard, who rode a Red Bull F1 car in which Sebastian Vettel won the 2011 title.

RG3 shared a video in which he was seen warming up wearing a tracksuit. Then, moments later, he was in formal attire, lined up next to the F1 car. As someone gave the green signal, the 34-year-old took off along with the car. The mismatch ended quickly, but Griffin was brimming with pride.

Not close, but it was closer. Wow! Now I can say I raced an F1 car. It's pretty awesome.  RG3 wrote.

That is indeed no easy feat, especially with all the noise that an F1 car engine generates. On top of that, the screeching sound of the rubber hitting the tarmac can cause temporary loss of hearing if there’s no proper protection. 

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.