All About Olympian Mondo Duplantis’ Relationship with Girlfriend Desiré Inglander (& Their Viral Gold Medal Moment!)

Mar. 15, 2025

Armand Duplantis and Desiré Inglander on the red carpet during Idrottsgalan 2024 the annual Swedish Sports Gala at Friends Arena on January 22, 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.Photo:Michael Campanella/Getty

Michael Campanella/Getty

When Mondo Duplantis, the Swedish-American athlete, broke the world record for pole vaulting at the2024 Paris Olympics, he ran to his girlfriend, Desiré Inglander, for acelebratory kiss.

Inglander, a Stockholm-native model and social media influencer, has also carved out her own successful career, balancing her professional aspirations with her supportive role in Duplantis' life. Together, they split their time between Sweden and the U.S.

Here’s everything to know about Mondo Duplantis and Desiré Inglander’s relationship.

Duplantis and Inglander met at a Midsummer party

Mondo Duplantis and Desiré Inglander.Mondo Duplantis/Instagram

Mondo Duplantis/Instagram

While the couple now has a loving and supportive relationship, their initial encounter at a Midsummer party in Sweden in 2020 was far from smooth.

“I had just graduated high school,” she toldVogue Scandinavia. “And I was in the mood of, ‘I’m going to do my own thing, nobody can stop me.’ ”

Duplantis, meanwhile, found himself in a cultural disconnect.

“The problem was, people flirt in a very different way in Sweden than where I’m from,” he explained. “[Where I’m from] there’s a lot more talking – you talk for a long time. So at the party, I was just trying to talk to Desiré, like ‘Hey, what’s up, I’m Mondo…’ but she didn’t want anything to do with it or me. She just wanted to dance.”

Duplantis’ efforts were initially unsuccessful at the party that night and in the following months as the athlete tried to set up a date but Inglander wasn’t sure.

“Finally I just sent her a message more or less saying, ‘I leave in a few weeks for the United States. Let me take you on a date. Just say yes,’ ” he recalled.

Inglander agreed, and they’ve been a pair since. However, the athlete told Swedish news outletSportbladetin 2022 that he had to show his effort to the model with “actions and not just words,” perOlympics.com.

“I had to prove over time that I was a respectable young man,” Duplantis said.

They’ve modeled forVogue

Duplantis and Inglander appeared in the June 2024 issue ofVogue Scandinavia, in which they posed together and spoke about their relationship.

Inglander also discussed her modeling career: She has worked with brands like Intimissimi, L’Oréal and sportswear brand Aim’n. Speaking to the outlet, she said that being featured in the magazine was a dream come true.

“As a kid, my mum used to buyVoguemagazines and I would sit next to her while she flipped the pages, dreaming of being in there one day,” Inglander told the outlet. “It’s like I’ve made little Desiré very proud.”

Aside from her budding success as a model, she is an influencer. Inglander has amassed a substantial following with nearly 600,000 followers onInstagramand inching toward one million onTikTok.

On her social media accounts, she shares snapshots of hermodeling work,travels,daily lifeand features regularDuplantis appearances.

Duplantis said Inglander brings “balance” to his life

Armand Duplantis and Desiré Inglander pose for photos prior to the inaugural Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Gran Prix on November 18, 2023 on the Las Vegas Street Circuit in Las Vegas, Nevada.Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty

Duplantis has credited Inglander with helping him reach equilibrium amid his demanding and rigorous schedule as a world-class athlete.

“Desiré brings me such a great balance in life,” he toldVogue Scandinavia. “It’s so nice to be able to come home and escape into a completely different world, absorb ourselves in each other and whatever we’re doing.”

Duplantis also serves as a grounding presence for the influencer who calls herself a “planning freak.”

“He’s taught me to just let it happen, let it flow,” she toldVogue Scandinavia. “He brings me down to earth.”

She supported Duplantis at the Olympics

Inglander has been a steadfast supporter of Duplantis, particularly during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She traveled to both events to cheer him on, encouraging him from the sidelines.

During the Paris Olympics, Inglander shared her excitement for Duplantis on social media.

“Team @mondo_duplantis,” the model captioned a photo carouselon Instagramof her supporting Duplantis in Paris.

When Duplantis broke the world record for pole vaulting in August 2024, he ran to Inglander on the sidelines, who was tearing up, and the two shared a festive kiss following the accomplishment.

“I always believe in him, but it is probably more that it is so unreal,” she told Swedish news outletSVT Sportafter the event, per Olympics.com. “It was awesome, really!”

The athlete posted a shot of the heartfelt moment on hisInstagramwith the caption, “Du,” adding a blue heart.

They split their time between Europe and the U.S.

Despite the geographic demands of their busy schedules, Duplantis and Inglander make it work.

The couple split their time between Stockholm and the United States, spending around six months a year in the former. They share an apartment on the island of Kungsholmen in Stockholm, which is within walking distance of Inglander’s family, according toVogue Scandinavia.

When not in Sweden, they are in the U.S. for Duplantis’ training. While the constant travel may be stressful for a relationship, Inglander told the outlet that she considers it a “privilege.”

“The only crazy part is the planning aspect, it can be so impossible to plan everything out,” she said. “But I also kind of love that.”

source: people.com