Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm will soon take on each other in a battle for the ages, as they go head-to-head in the 100m sprint. With the Swede specializing in pole vault and Warholm excelling in the 400m hurdles, the race will be interesting, and Duplantis' fellow vaulters are rooting for him to take the win.
The 23-year-old LSU alumni is without a doubt one of the most impressive athletes of this generation. He's broken his world record ten times, claiming two Olympic golds and two World Championships titles while doing so. He's also cleared a height of 6m+ more than 60 times in his career, a statistic that is a record in and of itself.
On the other hand, Karsten Warholm holds a resume just as impressive in the 400m hurdles. In Tokyo 2020, he stormed to his maiden Olympic gold, setting a world record in the process. Four years later, he followed it up with a silver in Paris. He is also a three-time World Champion, having finished atop the podium in 2017, 2019, and 2023.
Now, as the time for Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm to take on each other draws closer, the Swede is finding support within the pole vaulting community. In an interview ahead of the Zurich Diamond League, Katie Moon, Nina Kennedy, and Angelica Moser explained that they were rooting for Duplantis to take the win, with Moon saying,
“Just talking about this, as pole vaulters, we have to root for Mondo. But, it's going to be really close. I think, I've said this before, I think Mondo’s top speed might be faster but Karsten’s top speed endurance is going to be better, and he also does block work, so it's going to be so close, but we have to give it to Mondo.”
“Yeah, we stand with Mondo” - Moser chimed in.
Mondo Duplantis vs Karsten Warholm: Who has the better 100m timing?
While both Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm have excelled in their chosen events on the track, the duo have participated in the 100m distance in the past. When it comes to a comparison between those times, it is the Norwegian who is the faster athlete, with a personal best of 10.49s he clocked in 2017 while running indoors.
On the other hand, Mondo Duplantis’ best times in the event are 10.57s and 10.69s, both of which he clocked in 2018. Both times were wind-aided and illegal. Now, as the two athletes take on each other, fans will no doubt be anxious to see who is the faster man on the day of the competition.