Track Star Duplantis Beats 400M Hurdler in Sprint Exhibition
Two-time Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis added another impressive feat to his resume by defeating seasoned 400 meter hurdler Karsten Warholm in a 100 meter sprint exhibition. At the latest Zurich Diamond League event, the Swedish-American star clocked an impressive time of 10.37 seconds to edge out the Norwegian.
The idea for the unique matchup arose from some friendly banter between the two top athletes during training last year. Neither held back as they dug in for the contest, dressing in boxing robes to pump up the atmosphere – Duplantis opting for blue and Warholm going with red. It was a tight battle down the line but Duplantis used his expertise out of the blocks to pull ahead and take the victory.
Though disappointed with the loss, Warholm was gracious in defeat, stating “You know, I got to give it to Mondo. He beat me today, fair and square, so it was a great race. And he was he was out the blocks fast. He was out really sharp.” As for Duplantis, the thrill of the competition was evident as he exclaimed “I’m pretty fired up. How could I not be? I mean, come on, stop playing. Stop playing. Stop playing with me” upon crossing the finish.
Duplantis, no stranger to setting new boundaries in his sport, pushed himself outside his comfort zone and proved his speed on the track as well. The dramatic sprint exhibition provided an entertaining spectacle for the Zurich crowds and showed that this versatile athlete is always ready to take on new athletic challenges.
