Mondo Duplantis is on a pole vaulting tear like no other, shattering world records with a frequency that has only been bested by Sergey Bubka. Over the past four years, Mondo has eclipsed his own record nine times—a feat only Bubka has achieved more, with 14. This level of dominance is practically unparalleled in today’s track and field scene. And now Mondo’s not just vaulting into history; he’s gearing up to sprint.

That’s right—Mondo Duplantis is about to trade in his pole for a pair of running spikes as he takes on Karsten Warholm in a 100m dash at the Zurich Diamond League on September 4th. Warholm, the undisputed king of the 400m hurdles, set the world record with a jaw-dropping 45.94 seconds at the Tokyo Olympics. So, yeah, facing off against Warholm is no small feat. But Mondo’s not going it alone.

Enter Fred Kerley, the American track star who snagged a bronze in the 100m at the Olympics with a blazing 9.81 seconds. Kerley, who’ll be racing Letsile Tebogo in the 200m, isn’t just watching from the sidelines. After hearing about Mondo’s upcoming sprint challenge, Kerley quipped, “Let me do a 1v1 in 150 vs anybody.” While that face-off is still in the realm of ‘wouldn’t it be cool?’ Kerley did offer some hands-on help.

Before heading to Zurich, Kerley and Duplantis hit the track together. As Mondo Duplantis recalled in an interview with CitusMag, “I basically saw Fred in the lobby at the middle of the hotel and I was just like, when are you doing blocks? He’s like I am doing it at 2’o’clock. I said bet. So I pulled up to him at 2′ o’clock and we did blocks together. It was basically just as simple as that. But that was really necessary because I’ve been doing blocks just by myself and you really cannot replicate the feeling of having somebody on side of you and there was a lot of speed on side of me. So that was something I needed, and it felt nice to have that.”

Fred Kerley didn’t just show Mondo Duplantis how to use blocks—he also dropped some serious knowledge on reaction times and mental tricks during their training sessions. Mondo, always the fan of emulating top athletes, found it invaluable to get tips from someone as seasoned as Kerley. “It was nice to have that,” he said, appreciating the guidance from a pro.

Duplantis’s personal best is 10.57 seconds, a high school record that he’s trimmed to 10.30 seconds in recent times. Meanwhile, Karsten Warholm, known for his 400m hurdling prowess, has a 100m personal best of 10.49 seconds, set back in 2017. With these numbers, it’s anyone’s guess who will edge out in Zurich.

The upcoming race is shaping up to be a nail-biter, with the entire track and field world eagerly waiting to see who takes the win. And it’s not just Duplantis who’s getting star-studded advice—Warholm has had some sage words from the ultimate sprinting legend, Usain Bolt!

Mondo Duplantis’ rival Karsten Warholm received advice from the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt!

This face-off, happening ahead of Thursday’s Diamond League meet, is the culmination of some playful banter and a bit of trackside teasing. The rivalry kicked off after a joint training session, where Mondo Duplantis’s comment on Karsten Warholm’s speed led to the challenge: “He was saying that I looked fast, and I was like, ‘Let’s race,’” Duplantis recalled.

Warholm, driven by his ego and a bit of competitive fire, accepted. “With my ego and how highly I think of myself, I needed to accept,” the Norwegian explained. Warholm has now been training hard, even sending footage to Usain Bolt for tips. Bolt’s advice?

“Push out of the blocks instead of walking.” Warholm’s been implementing that and feels it’s made a difference, though Duplantis isn’t losing any sleep over it. “I’m just trying to get to that line before he does, that’s the only thing that matters,” Duplantis said. Not only does he believe he can beat Warholm, but he’s also confident enough to claim he could take on Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

“I’m actually like 100 percent confident,” he declared. And with ambitions to break Henrik Larsson’s Swedish 100m record of 10.08 seconds, it’s clear Duplantis isn’t just aiming to win; he’s aiming for greatness. This race is shaping up to be one for the ages—so, who’s your pick for the win?