Opinion is divided on who will win the much-anticipated sprint showdown in Zurich between the 400m hurdles and pole vault world record-holders
Over the years the athletics world has enjoyed fantasising about potential off-beat head-to-heads. Mo Farah alone has been involved in a few. They included a 600m race against Usain Bolt, a 400m showdown with wheelchair racer David Weir and even a fight against Amir Khan with the boxer only allowed to use one arm.
Many will remember 200m specialist Zharnel Hughes and 400m man Matt Hudson-Smith challenging each other to a 300m duel last year. Like so many of these unconventional clashes, however, they simply never happen.
When it comes to Karsten Warholm versus Mondo Duplantis over 100m, though, the dream is set to turn into reality. The world record-holders for 400m hurdles and pole vault respectively will face-off in the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich 24 hours before the main Diamond League programme where they will return to their usual events.
Karsten Warholm and Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
On Tuesday (Sept 3) a packed press conference in the Letzigrund saw the two athletes square off. There was a definite boxing match-style atmosphere, although there was none of the bile and venom that usually accompanies boxing and UFC press conferences and weigh-ins.
Instead the two Scandinavian athletes are good friends and their clash is a good natured head-to-head to simply settle a score. Still, it has caught the imagination of the sport and the home straight of the Letzigrund is expected to be full on Wednesday night for a 100m race which the organisers – Puma, Red Bull and Weltklasse Zurich – claim is a race “to settle it all”.
In addition to the big event at 9.30pm local time, there is an under-18 sprint race “to find the next Mujinga Kambundji”, breakdance battles and a BMX biking exhibition.
Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
As Warholm and Duplantis spoke at the press conference, they were interviewed on stage by Colin Jackson. The former world sprint hurdles record-holder knows a thing or two about doing ‘different events’ as well as he won the European indoor 60m title and dabbled with long jump during his stellar career.
Is he allowed to pick a side? “We’re in Switzerland, so I’ll remain neutral!” he said diplomatically.
As for Warholm and Duplantis, the Norwegian said he had been receiving advice on his start from Usain Bolt. Duplantis on the other hand has been spotted practising bursting out of the blocks with American sprinter Fred Kerley.
How did the showdown come about? Duplantis said: “I think it was my suggestion. It’s starting to settle in a bit now. When I got here and saw the whole setup and it’s all official. Before I was just relaxed and this was just shit talking with two people challenging each other.”
Karsten Warholm (Getty)
Warholm added: “When the handshake goes down, it always has to happen. For both me and Mondo, this makes sense.
“Mondo and I didn’t create the hype, I think the event has created its own hype. People want to see this. It’s something new, it’s something that excites. I don’t even know myself who’s going to win, but I would not be shaking his hand if I wasn’t confident, that’s for sure.”
Despite competing in different events, their 100m personal bests are close. Warholm recorded 10.49 seconds in 2017, while Duplantis clocked 10.57 as a high school senior in 2018.
Warming to the occasion, Warholm continued: “I think it’s going to be a real match-up. I’m going to give him everything that I’ve got and I know that he will do the same. That’s why we’re here to find out, that’s what the excitement is all about, who will cross the finish line first?
“It’s like when you’re play fighting with your buddies growing up, it always gets serious at one point. Right now it’s all fun and games, but when we’re at that line, it’s not going to be that much fun anymore. We’re in for a dog fight.”
READ MORE: 10 to watch at the Zurich Weltklasse
Dog fights aside, Duplantis reckons he’s actually the underdog. “In the actual track community, I’m still an underdog,” he says. “I might be a bit more hyped right now because I just broke the world record at the Olympics but in the end, it’s going to be a split between me and Karsten.”
Who will win? Let’s just hope it’s not as anticlimactic as the infamous 150m head to head between Olympic 100m champion Donovan Bailey and Olympic 200m champion Michael Johnson in Toronto in 1997, when Johnson pulled up injured halfway through the race.
Most experts think Duplantis vs Warholm will go right down to the wire, though. But whoever wins, is there a rematch clause in their contract? “If not, there should be!” says Jackson.
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