ATHLETICS
What’s the beef that provoked the Duplantis vs. Warholm 100m race?
All track and field fans will have the opportunity to enjoy a unique (Scandinavian-style) spectacle at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich on September 4.
Armand Duplantis, the world record holder in the pole vault, has challenged Karsten Warholm, the fastest man in history in the 400m hurdles, to a 100m race. The challenge has been accepted, and the race, which is heavily sponsored, will take place at the Diamond League athletics event in Zurich, Switzerland.
- Three years ago in Tokyo, Karsten Warholm became the first - and for now, the only - athlete to run the 400-meter hurdles in under 46 seconds, clocking in at 45.94.
- Armand "Mondo" Duplantis is the only pole vaulter to clear 6.20 meters. His latest personal and world record stands at 6.25 meters, set in the Paris Olympic Games.
Neither Duplantis nor Warholm have competed in the shortest outdoor sprint event for quite some time. Warholm’s personal record from 2017 is 10.49 seconds, while Duplantis ran 10.57 a year later, albeit with an illegal tailwind when he was still a high school student.
How did the “beef” between Duplantis and Warholm start?
Before the Monaco Diamond League meeting in July 2023, Athletics HQ released a one-minute clip of Karsten Warholm and Mondo Duplantis discussing the possibility of racing each other in a 100-meter race.
A month later, at the 2023 Zurich Diamond League pre-competition press conference, LetsRun asked them if they seriously considered that race and if there was a chance that an official duel meeting could happen. These were their thoughts then a year ago.
“When I first suggested it to him, he blew me off a little bit as far as thinking it would be a competition or not. Now he’s acting like it would be a great competition on the mic. But when I first suggested it to him, he was kind of like, oh okay, you really think you can beat me? All right, whatever. That was more the vibe that I got.”
“This is what I always do to level the playing field. Now I’m applying the pressure to you and you need to feel some of the nerves as well. But of course, I think you would never challenge me if you didn’t think you had a fair chance of winning, and I wouldn’t accept if I thought that I was going to embarrass you. So I think actually it would be a good match.”
The upcoming event, organized in collaboration with PUMA, Red Bull, and Weltklasse, promises to be a thrilling showdown. It marks the culmination of a friendly rivalry that has been slowly cooking for over a year. Both athletes are surely preparing to showcase their speed on the track, and the lighthearted banter between the two stars has only served to amplify the excitement surrounding the race.
Enthusiasts of track and field are split in their predictions for the outcome. Many are leaning towards Warholm due to his extensive experience with starting blocks and explosive acceleration, honed through his successful hurdling career. On the other hand, Duplantis is renowned for his exceptional speed and agility, traits that have undoubtedly contributed to his remarkable achievements in pole vaulting.