Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis showcased his sprinting prowess on Wednesday, clinching an unexpected victory over Karsten Warholm in a highly anticipated 100-meter exhibition sprint.
The event, held at Zurich’s Letzigrund Stadium, was a precursor to the city’s esteemed Diamond League meet, drawing considerable attention from athletics enthusiasts worldwide.
Armand Duplantis has been a dominant force in the pole vault arena revising the world record an astounding ten times.
However, on this day, he swapped his pole vaulting gear for sprinter’s spikes in a friendly face-off against Norway’s Warholm, the formidable 400-meter hurdles world record holder.
The crowd was treated to an unexpected display of speed from an athlete best known for his aerial exploits.
“I’m pretty fired up,” Duplantis said after the race, clearly elated by his performance.
His time of 10.37 seconds not only secured him the win but also marked a personal best, shaving 0.2 seconds off his previous record set during high school in 2018. Warholm, who is no slouch on the track, finished close behind in 10.47 seconds.
Warholm graciously acknowledged his defeat, stating, “I’ve got to give it to Mondo. He beat me today fair and square. It was a great race. He was out of the blocks fast.”
The unique setup of the race, complete with the athletes discarding boxing-style dressing gowns before taking their marks, added a theatrical element to the showdown.
Among the spectators was Fred Kerley, the 2022 world 100m champion, who had earlier assisted Duplantis with his starts in preparation for the race.
The idea for the exhibition came about earlier in the season when Duplantis and Warholm were debating who would be quicker in a sprint.
While their times might not qualify them for Olympic-level sprint competitions, they are impressive nonetheless signaling that both athletes possess speed that transcends their primary events.
