Mondo Duplantis wins 100m showdown against Karsten Warholm in Zurich

Mondo Duplantis recorded his personal best of 10.37 seconds.

When the starting gun fired after all of the pre-race theatrics in front of the packed Letzigrund Stadion grandstand, there was only ever going to be one winner of the showpiece 100m head-to-head on the eve of the main Weltklasse Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich on Wednesday night.

“I’m not saying I’m going to kick your ass but I’ll give you a run for your money,” Mondo Duplantis had ventured when he laid down the challenge to Karsten Warholm during a training session ahead of the Monaco Diamond League last year.

MONDO DUPLANTIS!!! 💥10.37 TO WIN THE 100M SHOWDOWN!!!#GeauxTigers | 📺@CitiusMag pic.twitter.com/BVxqjBYX92

— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) September 4, 2024

The young Swede who has revised the pole vault world record 10 times now did more than give the fastest 400m hurdler of all time a good run after the pair discarded the boxing-style dressing gowns in which they entered the arena.

Duplantis proceeded to administer something of a backside-kicking to his Norwegian friend, flying out of his blocks and leading from gun to tape and crossing the line a decisive winner in 10.37 (0.1m/s) – yet another record, this time of the personal variety, 0.2 quicker than the personal best he recorded in high school in 2018. Karsten Warholm clocked 10.47, 0.02 inside his six-year-old lifetime best.

Also Read: Zurich Diamond League 2024: Nina Kennedy wins women’s pole vault, extends undefeated streak

“I’ve got to give it to Mondo – he beat me fair and square,” the three-time world 400m hurdles champion said. “He got out of the blocks really fast. It was a great race.”

The crowd packing the grandstand were greatly entertained. Among them was Fred Kerley, the 2022 world 100m champion from the US, who practised starts with Duplantis in preparation for the big Zurich showdown.

“I’m pretty fired up,” a jubilant Duplantis said. “Since the Olympics, I haven’t touched a pole in training, only blocks.

“I love to sprint. I think it’s the greatest thing ever. There’s no better feeling at all that compares to that split second before the gun goes off and you’re just there waiting for it. Everything just kind of releases when it happens. It’s like the biggest bundle of energy you could ever have.”

Karsten Warholm also had some expert help. “I actually sent my block starts videos to Usain Bolt,” he revealed. “He said, ‘You shouldn’t walk out the blocks. You should push’.”

Having not pushed too swiftly on his way down the home straight on Wednesday, Karsten Warholm will have to wear a Sweden uniform in the 400m hurdles on the Zurich track on Thursday, a forfeit presented by Duplantis in the aftermath of his victory.

The night after his thrilling 100m win, Mondo Duplantis was happy to emerge from the wet with a victory in his specialist event, the pole vault.

Clear first time at 5.62m and 5.82m before failing three times at 6.02m, the Swede prevailed on countback. Sam Kendricks, the silver medallist behind him in Paris, also nailed 5.82m first time but the US vaulter paid the price for an initial blank at the opening height, 5.42m.

Duplantis was getting ready for his first vault – a 5.62m success – just as Warholm, his vanquished rival from the 100m head to head the night before was performing “a walk of shame,” as the Norwegian put it, in a yellow and blue Swedish uniform.

Sadly, the 400m hurdles world record-holder and world champion had to withdraw from his specialist event, having felt a hamstring pull in warm up, but still carried through with the forfeit for his loss on Wednesday night.

“I hope people will take this opportunity to make fun of me because it will never happen again,” Warholm declared, before parading in front of the grandstand to the strains of Abba’s Mama Mia.

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