American sprint legend Michael Johnson has found himself humbly acknowledging a misjudgment following Mondo Duplantis’s unexpected win in a friendly 100m race against Karsten Warholm in Zurich.
The former Olympic champion had initially doubted the pole vaulter’s prospects in the sprint event, citing the overwhelming odds against him.
The race, which took place on September 4 at Stadion Letzigrund, venue of the Zurich Diamond League, saw Duplantis clock a remarkable time of 10.37 seconds to defeat the seasoned Norwegian hurdler, Warholm.
“That 54% was right! Mondo!!” Johnson expressed on his social media account on X [formerly Twitter], congratulating Duplantis after the race.
This marked a significant turnaround from his earlier stance where he was skeptical of Duplantis’s chances.
“54% of people are wrong,” Johnson had confidently declared before the event, underestimating the pole vaulter’s sprint capabilities.
Despite his initial reservations, Johnson was one of the first to publicly celebrate Duplantis’s victory, demonstrating his sportsmanship and respect for the athlete’s versatility.
This race has added a fascinating layer to the ongoing narrative around Duplantis, who is primarily celebrated for his pole vaulting achievements but showed a commendable sprinting prowess in Zurich.
Michael Johnson, who has been a vocal critic but also a supporter of Duplantis’s career, has often highlighted the unique challenges and expectations surrounding the Swedish-American athlete.
In April 2024, when Duplantis broke his own world record and downplayed the achievement, Johnson criticized his casual dismissal of the feat.
“This is a problem for pole vault. WRs [World Records] get attention because they’re usually special. The guy breaking them doesn’t make it feel special. Competition gets attention. He has no competition. The problem is not his fault, but it’s a problem,” Johnson wrote.
Nevertheless, Johnson has also been quick to praise Duplantis during monumental moments, such as his world record-breaking performance at the Paris Olympics.
“You know when Mondo Duplantis is competing, you are always on world record watch. He essentially breaks world records when he wants. He has broken world records at World Championships and European Championships but this is the Olympics. He loves the big moments and big stages,” Johnson commented during his coverage for BBC Sport.
