Pole-vaulter Armand Duplantis beats hurdler Karsten Warholm in special one-off 100m sprint
Published 04/09/2024 at 21:37 GMT+1
Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis proved there is nothing he can't do when he continued his winning ways, this time in a special one-off 100m sprint race against his great friend and 400m hurler Karsten Warholm. The duo lined up in the exhibition in Zurich on the eve of the next Diamond League meeting, with Warholm's forfeit for losing meaning he will compete in a Swedish vest tomorrow.
Watch unbelievable moment Duplantis breaks world record to celebrate gold
Video credit: TNT Sports
Armand Duplantis got the better of Karsten Warholm in an intriguing battle to see who was the fastest man over 100m in Zurich on Wednesday night.
Getting out of the blocks incredibly well for a man who usually sprints from an upright starting position holding a pole, Duplantis led from the word go and Warholm was unable to reel in his rival as the line approached that bit sooner than he is used to.
In the hotly anticipated special event, attended by some of this year's hottest sprint stars, the duo initially came out in boxer's silk robes as the tension built perfectly, with the two stars playing their part in hyping up the crowd.
On the eve of the latest Diamond League meeting, the two superstars had agreed to the one-off race to see who was the faster sprinter - Norwegian 400m hurdle star Warholm, or Swedish pole-vaulting legend Duplantis. The forfeit for the loser is to compete tomorrow wearing the winner's national colours.
Both are world record holders in their own event, both Olympic gold medallists, both superstars. It's easy to see why this race was sold out, with the crowd full of anticipation for the showdown.
The background to the race was as fascinating as the characters themselves - a social media clip appearing a year ago where the race was mooted, discussed and shaken on.
“I’ll give you a pair of the spikes that I use, so you can’t have any excuses,” Warholm said, to which Duplantis replied: “I’m not saying I’m going to kick Karsten’s a*** but I am saying I’ll give you a good run for your money.”
“It would be more embarrassing for me if you beat me, so I have everything to lose,” Warholm added.
“Exactly, I’m running free,” joked Duplantis in response, and that it seemed, was that.
With Duplantis then going on to win Olympic gold at a relative canter in Paris, with a world record to boot before breaking his own world record again a couple of weeks later, it was clear he was in the form of his life heading into this race.
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Armand Duplantis of Sweden celebrates after reaching 6.26m and breaking his pole vault world record during the Wanda Diamond League
Image credit: Getty Images
Warholm was beaten to gold by Kai Benjamin of the United States in Paris, although he remains the world record holder with a time of 45.94s set at Tokyo - and he took the win at the most recent Diamond League meeting in Poland.
Going into the race, Warholm’s 100m best was a 10.49s from 2017, while Duplantis set a 10.57 back in 2018.
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But on a slightly chilly Wednesday evening, it was Duplantis who triumphed by just one tenth of a second, running an unbelievable 10.37s, Warholm recording a personal best 10.47s behind.
Those times are impressive fullstop, but considering the conditions, it is clear that both athletes are multi-talented - with Dupantis having said in the past he'd consider running for Sweden in the relays.
"I'm pretty fired up, how could I not be?" Duplantis said after winning, with Warholm graciously saying he was "beaten fair and square."
The real question now though is - will there be a rematch?
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