A nostalgic college snapshot from 2018 is making waves online, showcasing two Olympic medalists.
Captured during the autumn of 2018 at Louisiana State University, the photo features American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson alongside Swedish-American pole vaulter Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis.
In the image, both athletes display signs indicating it was their first day at the university, while sharing some of their aspirations.
Not only did they each foresee their current success accurately, but they also revealed interesting tidbits about their sporting icons.
Richardson named Usain Bolt as her favorite, while Duplantis picked his mother, Helena Hedlund Duplantis, a former heptathlete and volleyball player.
This image from 2018 of Armand Duplantis and Sha’Carri Richardson has gone viral
Despite representing separate nations, the pair shares a strong connection, having excelled as track and field athletes for the LSU Tigers.
During the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Richardson expressed her admiration for Duplantis, declaring him as one of her ‘favorite people in life’ to NBC.
Reflecting on their time in college, Duplantis recalled to Olympics.com, ‘It feels surreal because time flies so fast.
‘It seems like just yesterday we were naïve teenagers, adjusting to college life and enjoying typical freshman antics.’
Although Duplantis represents Sweden, he was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is the son of American pole vaulter Greg Duplantis.
In 2019, Richardson earned ‘The Bowerman’ award, recognizing her as the country’s top track and field athlete, while Duplantis was a finalist for the same award that year. Both turned professional shortly thereafter.
The duo put their alma mater on the map at the Tokyo Olympics, both securing medals in their respective events.
Richardson, a frontrunner in the women’s 100 meters, achieved a silver medal after finishing just 0.15 seconds behind gold medalist Julian Alfred from Saint Lucia.
Richardson won a silver medal for her strong performance in the 100 meter sprint
Meanwhile, Duplantis broke his own world record and won gold in the pole vault
In contrast, Duplantis clinched gold in the pole vault, setting a world record by clearing an impressive 6.25 meters (20 feet, 6 inches).
While they both held similar aspirations, the two freshmen likely couldn’t have imagined how their paths would unfold from that day in 2018.
‘We shared enormous dreams and knew we could reach this point, but life took its course, and here we are achieving what we always envisioned,’ Duplantis added.
‘Sports are unpredictable, and things don’t always turn out as planned. Yet, for both of us to triumph at the world championships in the same year, recalling our college days, it’s truly special.’
