Armand “Mondo” Duplantis is expanding his sporting profile into music. The Swedish pole vault star has released a new track titled Gold, which will become the official anthem of World Athletics’ inaugural Ultimate Championship.
The song was released on Friday ahead of the prestigious event in Budapest, which is scheduled to take place from September 11 to 13. The competition will feature Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League winners competing over three evening sessions. The event carries a total prize pool of $10 million, with each individual gold medallist set to receive $150,000.
Music is not a completely unfamiliar space for the two-time Olympic champion. The 26-year-old has pursued his creative interests for several years and made his musical debut in 2025 with the single Bop.
Despite being a multiple world-record holder in pole vault, Duplantis has previously revealed ambitions outside athletics, including his dream of eventually winning a Grammy.
According to World Athletics, Duplantis co-wrote Gold with Carl Silvergran and Oscar Chase, who also produced the track.
“I wrote the song around representing something that's a lot bigger than yourself,” Duplantis said in the announcement, as quoted by AP.
He explained that athletes represent their families, teams and coaches whenever they compete. Duplantis added that music and sport both have the ability to bring people together and described Gold as an expression of that idea.
The accompanying music video was filmed in Budapest and combines contemporary footage with clips from Duplantis’ childhood and early years in athletics, highlighting his progression from a promising young athlete to an international star.
In an earlier conversation with the Olympics channel, Duplantis said creating music gives him a way to step away from the pressure of competition and provides a creative outlet separate from pole vaulting.
World Athletics said Gold will feature prominently during the Ultimate Championship, appearing both during the television broadcast and as part of the entertainment inside the stadium. Duplantis is also scheduled to perform the song live at the closing ceremony.
“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. He added that Duplantis is among the sport’s most recognisable and accomplished athletes and that the organisation was delighted to have him create the event’s anthem.
The Ultimate Championship is expected to be staged every two years as part of World Athletics’ long-term plans for the new competition.
