Mondo can sing, too: Duplantis releases ‘Gold’ as anthem for Ultimate Championship

Mondo can sing, too: Duplantis releases ‘Gold’ as anthem for Ultimate Championship 1 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis bites his gold medal as he celebrates winning the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 2 of 5 | Armand Duplantis, of Sweden, competes in the men’s pole vault competition at the Diamond League athletics city meet in Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, August 20, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) 3 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis makes an attempt in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 4 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 5 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 1 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis bites his gold medal as he celebrates winning the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 1 of 5 Sweden’s Armand Duplantis bites his gold medal as he celebrates winning the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | Armand Duplantis, of Sweden, competes in the men’s pole vault competition at the Diamond League athletics city meet in Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, August 20, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) 2 of 5 Armand Duplantis, of Sweden, competes in the men’s pole vault competition at the Diamond League athletics city meet in Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, Thursday, August 20, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis makes an attempt in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) 3 of 5 Sweden’s Armand Duplantis makes an attempt in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 4 of 5 Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) 5 of 5 Sweden’s Armand Duplantis competes in the men’s pole vault final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Morgan Harlow) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis is singing about his favorite color in a promotion for the first Ultimate Championship.The two-time Olympic champion released “Gold” with World Athletics on Friday as the anthem of the upcoming meet that boasts a total prize fund of $10 million.Ultimate Championship will be staged in Budapest from Sept. 11-13 showcasing Olympic, world and Diamond League champions over three evening sessions. Gold medalists in individual events will win $150,000.The 26-year-old Duplantis has dabbled in music for several years and released his first single, “Bop,” in 2025.Duplantis, the world-record holder, says he dreams of winning a Grammy.“Gold” was written by Duplantis with Carl Silvergran and Oscar Chase, and was produced by Chase, the World Athletics announcement said.“I wrote the song around representing something that’s a lot bigger than yourself,” Duplantis said in the announcement. “I think that’s what we all do when we’re on the track. We represent our family, our team, our coaches, and I love that concept. Music and sports are the two things that bring people together in the best way, and ‘Gold’ is an expression of that.” The accompanying music video was filmed in the Hungarian capital and includes archival footage of Duplantis as a young athlete.The Louisiana-born Duplantis told the Olympics channel last year he uses his music “as a way of therapy. I really love to have something else to be able to do, and to kind of take myself away from sports a little bit.” 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ At the Ultimate Championship, his new song “will be woven into the broadcast and live-event experience, connecting fans in-stadium with audiences around the world,” World Athletics said. Duplantis is scheduled to perform “Gold” live in-stadium to close out the event.“The Ultimate is purposefully designed to showcase the talents and passions of our sport’s biggest stars, on and off the track,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said. “Mondo is one of our most recognizable and accomplished athletes, and we could not be more excited that he is the one who created the Ultimate Anthem.”The championship will be a biennial event.___See full AP coverage of European sports here