The world of pole vaulting and the bar at Dalahasten in Avesta know the glory of Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis. Since entering the sport, the 24-year-old Swedish athlete has broken the men’s pole vault world record ten times, three of which have occurred this year. Local fans from his hometown have made it a tradition to raise the bar in the stands to match his new heights whenever Mondo sets a record. Now, after the Silesia Diamond League, the bar stands at 6.26 meters. But will such a feat instill fear in Karsten Warholm as he prepares to face Duplantis at the Letzigrund Stadium on September 4?

No one knows for sure, but the warring camps have already begun exchanging fiery words ahead of the upcoming 100m battle on the track. First, the ‘Viking’ hurled a few verbal fireworks, and now, the LSU alum has responded without mincing words.

Mondo Duplantis reminds Karsten Warholm of his position: The ‘second’

The mouthwatering collision between Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Warholm has a contest between the paces on the card. But before the actual race, the rivalry is moving in the words and phrases. A few days ago, Warholm had registered his threat: “Mondo, you’ll have to watch out for me because I’m going to be fast.” But that couldn’t send a shiver down Mondo’s spine. Rather, in a promotion hosted by PUMA, the two-time Olympic champion said, “I think Karsten is sleeping on the fact that I’m fast. I think he should be nervous.” Without sugarcoating his words, the athlete reminded Karsten about the latter’s defeat at the Paris Olympics in the men’s 400m hurdles event to Rai Benjamin. But Duplantis stood tall in his event, snagging the Olympic gold and registering his 9th world record. But will his athleticism help him against the three-time world champion? 

The 100m race isn’t the signature event for either athlete. However, Karsten Warholm’s expertise lies in the 400m hurdles, widely regarded as one of the toughest track events. Despite Warholm’s prowess, he may not be a suitable competitor against Mondo Duplantis, as the pole vault star himself suggested, providing reasons for his claim.

In the same snippet released by PUMA, Mondo Duplantis laid out, “I think he’s probably just underestimating my speed in general. That’s the nature of the event and that’s what this is. This is just all about speed.” Talking about the speed, the Swedish has a fair share in it, and his opponent knows that. 

Before attempting the pole vault, Mondo Duplantis needs to complete a runway of 40m. He tries to gather momentum from that to jump over the bar using the pole. Thinking about that part, Karsten Warholm had said, “I think Mondo’s strengths are going to be his acceleration, especially in the first 40-50 meters.” But those who have witnessed the reigning world champion in his senior years know the better part of the story. 

A display of complete athleticism is not far-fetched 

On August 14, Mondo Duplantis shared a request on X, tagging Vernon Norwood, Dennis Shaver (LSU HC of track and field), and Sha’Carri Richardson. He wrote down, “Imma need @Vernon400m @LSUCoachShaver @itsshacarri to tap in to get me right in these blocks.” However, Shaver confidently replied, “Mondo. You got this!” Does that belief come from Mondo’s show on the track before joining the LSU Tigers? 

After three years of excitement on the field, fans would agree that Mondo Duplantis is full of surprises. One such surprise was his 10.57s performance in the 100m race. Back in 2028, during his senior year, the two-time world champion outran his opponents to secure the top position at Regionals. Additionally, his training regimen includes regular sprinting, which has fueled his motivation to challenge Karsten Warholm.

During the 2023 Monaco Diamond League, the episode started with the pole vault athlete throwing the gauntlet of competition before the Norwegian legend. The latter had to accept because of his ‘ego’. But Mondo has always been sure about his victory all along, as he revealed, “I would never have challenged Warholm to a race if I didn’t think I could win.” Now, wait for a few more days, and the curtain will be over. So whom are you rooting for to win in this contest? Let us know.