Mondo Duplantis, the world record holder in the pole vault, proved he’s more than just a one-trick pony on Wednesday night in Zurich. He defeated Norway’s Karsten Warholm in a 100-metre showdown. Duplantis clocked an impressive 10.37 seconds, edging out Warholm, the 400m hurdles world record holder, by a tenth of a second.
MONDO DUPLANTIS!!! 💥
10.37 TO WIN THE 100M SHOWDOWN!!!#GeauxTigers | 📺@CitiusMag pic.twitter.com/BVxqjBYX92
— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) September 4, 2024
The main question leading up to the race was whether Duplantis could handle the starting blocks. He silenced doubters by taking the lead from the gun and maintaining it to the finish. Warholm finished in a personal best time of 10.47 seconds, improving on his previous mark of 10.49 seconds set in 2017. Duplantis’s previous best was 10.57 seconds, achieved in his final year of high school in 2018.
With the victory, Duplantis not only ensured Scandinavian bragging rights but also won a friendly wager against the Norwegian. As part of their bet, Warholm will now have to wear a Swedish kit during his 400m hurdles competition at Thursday’s Zurich Diamond League meet. Meanwhile, Duplantis will have a new swagger about him in the pole vault.
The challenge between the two athletes originated from some playful banter at the Monaco Diamond League meet in July 2023. Warholm had remarked that Duplantis looked fast, prompting the Swedish vaulter to challenge him to a race. Warholm, never one to back down, accepted the challenge, saying, “With my ego and how highly I think of myself, I needed to accept.”
Since bursting onto the scene at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Duplantis has consistently sought new challenges, even challenging former Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
