Latest news with #Mondo
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Fair City stars tease there are big things in store for Mondo and Ruby as Lidl comes to Carrigstown
Fair City stars George McMahon and Rachel Wren have said there are "exciting times" in store for their characters Mondo and Ruby and the rest of Carrigstown as Lidl opens in the neighbourhood. Fans of the RTÉ One soap are set to see plenty of red, yellow, and blue as the shop opens next Tuesday with Mondo and Ruby in the middle of all the drama and fun. "So, Mondo works in PR and he's helping with the launch of Lidl," actor McMahon explained to RTÉ Entertainment. "It's obviously a big contract for him and he's to work hand-in-hand with Renee (played by Una Crawford O'Brien), who's a bit of a busybody! She loves to feel like she's in charge. It's like we're kind of vying for attention from Lidl head office. "Helping Mondo out is Ruby in the office, and between the two of us, we're kind of stressed trying to get the launch up and running. "It's a nice little springboard for Mondo and Ruby because it seems like they've got a good working relationship going forward. Hopefully, they'll be on to the next thing and Comet (Mondo's company) will be ruling the PR world!" "I think Ruby massively looks up to Mondo," said co-star Wren. "She's such a hard worker and stuff, and her dad (Victor, played by Mark Asante) is a hard worker but in a very different way [to Mondo]. "I think with their past history and stuff (Mondo's partner Kira, played by Lynseyann Mulvey-Bowe, having an affair with Ruby's father Victor), she has always had a soft spot for Mondo, and they've always really looked out for each other. They really care about each other. "And also, they work really, really well together! They have a lot of fun in between all the stress! They can read each other well and know how to navigate things really well together." McMahon said that over the years, Carrigstown has gone from a small corner shop to the "Narnia" of having its own Lidl. "It kind of felt like Sports Day in school," he said of filming the grand opening scenes for the new supermarket. "Everyone with smiles on their faces just made our day so much fun. Days like that are definitely as fun as they look." "It was a great buzz," Wren agreed. "I've definitely never been with so many people on set, and it was also great to have so many young people and people who are big fans of the show being able to guest appear and be part of that experience. It was lovely to have them around as well. Everyone was in really great form and there was little jellies and stuff, so I was having a great time!" McMahon said that the new supermarket's opening coincides with "a really busy summer" in Carrigstown and "lots of stuff coming up after the summer as well". "As an actor in a soap, conflict is where all the magic is at, so you never know what's down the road..." he teased. When the actors were asked for their own 'Middle Aisle storylines' - the wish list plots they would love to see happen - both gave the Fair City writers and fans food for thought. "I would love to see Ruby and Gwen (played by Emily Lamey) team up for some absolute utter shenanigans!" Wren enthused. "I just think those two characters would have so much fun - Ruby idolising Gwen and trying to be cool for her and then just getting into loads of trouble. I loved the Gwen and Zak (Stephen O'Leary) storyline with the diamond, and so having Ruby come in and do something like that with her, I think that would be really, really fun." "My one is a road trip - and it's Cass (Eamon Morrissey), Mondo, and Ray (Mick Nolan)!" McMahon continued. "We need to go to the Gaeltacht for some reason and we end up in Tigh Tadhg's having pints in Ros na Rún. The crossover episode we all need and want! I'm putting it out there to the Universe. We have to make it happen." "How has that never happened before?!" asked Wren. "I don't know, but tá me réidh!" McMahon replied.
Mint
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Mastering the impossible: Inside the record-breaking world of pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis
In 2024, there were athletes, and then there was Mondo Duplantis. To describe that season, words are hard to come by, and Duplantis himself mutters things like 'weird" and 'surreal". But if there's one word that, casting aside superlatives, captures the essence of the 25-year-old Swedish-American pole vaulter's year—15 wins in 15 competitions, world champion, European Champion, Olympic champion, and three-time world record breaker—it's this: impossible. Any athlete operating in the top tier would like to believe that they are chasing the impossible, that they are on a quest to turn dreams into reality. Once in a generation, that really happens. Duplantis belongs, with consummate ease, in the same sphere as Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Eliud Kipchoge. So far ahead of the rest that during the Paris Olympics, with the pole vault competition done—in fact all events for the day were over—and the gold in his pocket, Duplantis, who still had a couple of jumps left, if he wished to take them, decided to go for the world record. More than 77,000 people inside the sweltering, heaving Stade De France roared and chanted—Mondo, Mondo, Mondo. Even his opponents, the entire pool of finalists in the men's pole vault, stood on the sidelines egging him on. He had won the Olympic gold with a 6.0m jump, so he first loosened up with a 6.10m jump to set the Olympic record. Then he raised the bar to 6.25m, jack-knifed and soared over it like only he can, accompanied by a deafening wall of sound, to break the world record for the ninth time. Duplantis had become the first man to break the pole vault world record in an Olympic final and the first to win back-to-back Olympic golds in the event since US's Bob Richards in 1952 and 1956. By the time I meet him, on the sidelines of the Laureus Sports Awards on a cool April day in Madrid this year, Duplantis had broken the world record twice more (it stands at 6.27m now), and had been unbeaten since 2023. 'But Paris…man, it's hard to beat Paris," he says, lounging on a sofa in blue denim, sneakers and a flowy slate-grey cotton shirt with a Cuban collar. 'The way the stars aligned for me that night…I was on a different planet, it was weird. It was such an overwhelming, surreal and life-changing moment, it was hard to take it all in. The craziest moment I had in my career for sure." A striking development in the world of sports, very visible at the Paris Olympics, is the newfound camaraderie between rivals. Neeraj Chopra and his Pakistani rival Arshad Nadeem (silver and gold in javelin) are fast friends, the American gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowed to Brazilian gymnast Rebecca Andrade when the latter won the gold in the floor event, and all of Duplantis's rivals lined up to cheer him on to the world record. 'In our instances, it's a very individual sport which I think helps to bring everybody together," Duplantis says. 'Because whatever the person on the other side does, it's not going to affect me or my performance. It's just a competition within yourself, just against the bar. Particularly with pole vaulting—it's just a strange and crazy event that attracts people who are kind of weird in their own way to even dare to do it." Pole vaulting is a strange sport, no two ways about it. It requires the speed and power of a sprinter, and the coordination and daredevilry of a gymnast. It is highly dangerous—the athlete pummels down a track at full speed holding a pole that's a little over 19ft long, which they then ram into a hole (called a 'box"), to flip themselves over a bar that, at the elite level, is 19ft high or more. Pole vaulting has been around since at least 2500 BC, when the ancient Egyptians used poles to reach enemy battlements or cross a hurdle, but it's safe to say that no one in those thousands of years has managed to soar to Duplantis's heights. Yet fear is not part of his emotional spectrum when it comes to pole vaulting. 'You always have a bit of a mental barrier when you are jumping, specially when you are trying a new height," Duplantis said. 'But I was always quite good at it. My father, who was my coach, never had to help me overcome any fear. The main thing for him was…if something happened like I broke a pole or had a bad jump, it was really important for him to try and make sure that we ended the session on a good jump, ended with a good taste in my mouth. You only ever remember your last jump, that's the beautiful thing about it." When Duplantis says that he was always good at it, what he means is that he has been jumping since he was a toddler. He was only four when his father Greg, a college-level pole-vaulter in the US, built him a backyard facility at their home in Lafayatte, Louisiana, and taught him the sport (it may be pointless to try and explain how someone gets to such rarefied levels of accomplishment in any field, but in sports, you can bet genetics has something to do with it—Duplantis's mother Helena is a former heptathlete from Sweden, which is also why Duplantis chose to represent Sweden instead of the US while in his teens). 'I grew up idolising my dad," Duplantis says, 'he just has so much love for sports and for pole vaulting that it just rubbed off on me and I think that's a big part of how I was able to get attached to it at such an young age. Of course he was the one who introduced me to it, but then also the way he was obsessed with it, that's something we bonded over." As he grew up, Duplantis says, his relationship with his father became less like that of a child and his parent and more like 'best friends, or brothers, in a way… 'I follow his advice and guidance all the time, but at the same time, he has let me figure out my own path in such a beautiful way." The backyard set-up still exists in their sprawling garden—more a forest than a garden, in the way that everything grows in wild profusion in the rainy, humid and hot climate of Louisiana. It consists of a running track which was once just packed earth but is now only slightly more upgraded with a metal track overlaid with plywood and foam, ending in a landing pad and the bar. Vines and ferns encroach from all sides. And one side of the track has the neighbour's brick wall, padded with discarded mattresses if Duplantis was to suffer a fall. But even here, Duplantis cleared world record heights multiple times while isolating himself and preparing for the Tokyo Olympics in the middle of the pandemic. What does it feel like, I ask him, to break the world record so many times? 'It's difficult to explain…people look at it two or three centimetres, but man that's a big gap," he says. 'When I first broke the world record with 6.17 (in 2020) to now at 6.27, those 10 centimetres are light years away, a completely different level of jump. Each time it becomes exponentially harder for me. I'm just creeping up I guess. Each time it requires me to be better at everything, every aspect of the jump, and I have to find little details that I can refine to get to those extra centimetres." But is 6.28 just around the corner? 'Oh yes," he smiles, 'I think that's coming soon." Rudraneil Sengupta is the author of The Beast Within , a detective novel set in Delhi.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
TOI Impact: Minister reviews JLN track's tendering process, relaying work paused
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: The relaying of a prefabricated synthetic athletics track , supplied by Mondo company, at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium in the Capital has been postponed. It's been learnt that sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday opted to review the entire administrative process, aiming to confirm that all proper procedures and rules were adhered to during the awarding of the tender to the Italian manufacturer. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The development came a day after TOI published an exclusive report that the tender floated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has attracted considerable scrutiny due to the explicit mention of Mondo in the bid document. This had led to allegations that the SAI was engaging in monopolistic and restrictive trade practices by favouring Mondo and thereby excluding other potential suppliers of synthetic athletics tracks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Seoul-teukbyeolsi: AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Aroun... Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Who's that IPL player? The fresh track is being relaid as India gears up to host the World Para Athletics Championships at JLN from Sept 26 to Oct 5. 'The work for relaying of the Mondo synthetic track was to begin from Friday at the JLN. All the preparations had been done for the same. However, the minister decided to revisit the official file which led to the administrative sanction of Mondo track. The minister wants to ensure that the proper rules were followed and necessary permissions were obtained as far as the ministry and SAI's sanctions are concerned,' an official source in the know of development told TOI. Poll Do you agree with the decision to postpone the relaying of the Mondo synthetic athletics track? No, it should proceed as planned. Yes, it's important to ensure fairness. The Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) on Friday came up with a press release informing that it decided to recommend Mondo track after strong recommendations from India's Olympic and Paralympic champions Neeraj Chopra, Parveen Kumar and Sumit Antil. 'At the core of this championship lies the most critical element: the track — the stage where champions are made and records are broken. We have chosen the Mondo track, the same surface used in every Olympic Games since 1976, as part of our vision to deliver the best-ever World Championships. Mondo is globally recognised for its unmatched speed and responsiveness, giving athletes the best possible chance to deliver record-breaking performances. Its proven credibility adds prestige to the event, while also symbolising India's commitment to providing elite-level sporting infrastructure,' the PCI stated.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Modern Apizza takes ‘Connecticut Pizza Trail' crown
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — More than 13,000 votes were cast and the results are in: Modern Apizza in New Haven is the winner of the 'Connecticut Pizza Trail' survey conducted by the Connecticut's tourism office. The survey was launched in order to pick pizza shops that will be included on the 'pizza trail.' Pepe's and Sally's came in right behind Modern in the survey. The first twenty pizzerias were announced on News 8's Good Morning Connecticut, with towns across the state notching entries. Winner of Connecticut's Pizza Capital Trail revealed 'I think it sends a message loud and clear that there is great pie in every corner of the state from New Haven to New London to New Hartford,' Anthony Anthony, the state official in charge of marketing tourism efforts, said. 'You have apizza, Greek style pie and everything in between.' Anthony said the pizza trail is part of the state's broader efforts to put its culinary scene front and center as a tourist attraction. While the Elm City had by far the strongest showing on the pizza trail poll, other towns held their own, too. Middletown notched two entries, including Mondo on Main Street. 'Any attention given to the pizza business is great for all of us,' Mondo owner Keith Vibert said. 'It's one of those rising tides lift all boats type of things.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Government refutes monopoly charge in relaying of track at JLN stadium
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (PTI Photo) New Delhi: India is set to host the prestigious World Para Athletics Championships at the city's Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium from Sept 26 to Oct 5. For its preparations, the government recently issued a tender on the 'Government e Marketplace' (GeM) portal, inviting World Athletics ' (WA)-certified international and Indian flooring and equipment manufacturers for the installation of a 'prefabricated synthetic athletic track' at the JLN's main ground and warm-up area. This tender has attracted scrutiny due to the explicit mention of the Italian manufacturer 'Mondo' in the bid document. This has led to allegations that the government is engaging in monopolistic and restrictive trade practices by favouring Mondo and thereby excluding other potential suppliers of synthetic athletics tracks. According to the bid document accessed by TOI, 'The bidder should submit an authorisation certificate of association with the manufacturer of prefabricated synthetic athletic track (Mondo) in the name of bidder undertaking to supply and supervise the installation of the track, specifically for this project. The product offered should be a World Athletics (formerly known as IAAF) certified prefabricated track system.' For the replacement of the 400m main arena synthetic track and its certification within the JLN stadium complex, sources said Mondo has presented an estimated cost projection of ₹23,17,75,000 including GST. In contrast, sources alleged that the same project could be completed for around ₹15 crore by other interested suppliers. For the warm-up area as well, the cost submitted to lay the prefabricated synthetic track is around ₹18 crore, whereas the work could be completed between ₹8–10 crore, alleged sources. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo Presently, the JLN features a synthetic track which was laid ahead of the Delhi CWG in 2010 by Swiss manufacturer CONICA, in partnership with India's Shiv Naresh. At a recent meeting between SAI officers and bidders, at least 14 prospective participants voiced their concerns on this issue, alleging favouritism towards Mondo. Responding to the controversy, SAI said that after a thorough inspection of the current tracks, the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) recommended Mondo for installation at both sites. According to SAI, 'Mondo tracks, developed by Mondo Worldwide, are renowned for their performance-enhancing properties, superior traction, speed optimisation and injury reduction potential. These tracks have been the surface of choice at the Olympics, Paralympics and World Championships, setting a global benchmark for elite athletic performance .' SAI further clarified that the Central Public Works Department's (CPWD) estimates showed a cost difference of about 26% between Full PUR and Mondo tracks. The Engineering Wing of SAI received in-principle approval from sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya to proceed with Mondo at JLN stadium. 'Subsequently, a Technical Specification Committee (TSC) was constituted to finalise the scope of work. Following the TSC's recommendations, tenders for the laying of Mondo tracks at both the main arena and warm-up area, along with associated allied works, were floated on the Central Public Procurement (CPP) portal. A pre-bid meeting was conducted with interested vendors and contractors, during which their suggestions were reviewed and incorporated into the tender process to ensure transparency and responsiveness to industry feedback. Currently, the tendering process for the installation of Mondo tracks at JLN stadium is underway,' the SAI statement added.
