Duplantis Chooses Separate Housing for World Championships in Tokyo

Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vault superstar, has made headlines by opting to stay in a separate hotel rather than with the Swedish athletics team during the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Duplantis and his fiancée, Desiré Inglander, will be housed elsewhere, a choice made to ensure his privacy and peace before competition.

The Swedish team is lodged at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, which accommodates about 2000 athletes from around 200 countries. Duplantis's decision reflects the unique pressures he faces as a leading figure in athletics; his manager, Daniel Wessfeldt, explained that his fame would likely result in frequent interruptions from fans seeking selfies, hindering his preparation.

The Swedish Athletics Federation has publicly supported Duplantis’s arrangement, stating it is in line with ensuring he is adequately prepared for the competition. Notably, this is not the first instance of Duplantis choosing separate accommodation for major events, indicating his preference for a focused environment ahead of his pole vault qualification where he aims for a fourth consecutive World Championship gold.