Mondo Duplantis had an Olympics he’ll cherish forever, setting a new world record by successfully clearing the bar at 6.25 meters. This was the ninth time Duplantis had broken the world record to become one of the greatest athletes in history. Achieving all this at just 24 is extraordinary and a rarity in sports. His dominance in pole vaulting has been so overwhelming that he’s decided to explore another sport—well, sort of.

Duplantis will compete against Karsten Warholm in a 100-meter race. Warholm is the fastest 400m hurdler in the world, having set the world record during the Tokyo Olympics with a time of 45.94 seconds, which earned him the gold medal. Although he only managed a silver medal in Paris, he now takes part in a unique exhibition race against the top athlete in his respective sport. The race is set to take place on September 4 in Zurich, just one day before the Diamond League begins.

Duplantis has always shown an interest in sprinting and has expressed a desire to break the Swedish record, currently held by Henrik Larsson with a time of 10.08 seconds. While having such ambitions is commendable, he still lacks experience at the top level in sprinting. With the race date fast approaching, he has sought help from some familiar faces to assist him in his quest for victory.

In a post on X, Duplantis reached out to those who have known him as an athlete for a long time, seeking their help. He called on Dennis Shaver, Vernon L. Norwood, and Sha’Carri Richardson. Shaver, the current track and field coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), has agreed to assist Duplantis. Norwood is an alumnus of the same university, and Richardson also attended LSU during the same period as Duplantis. The pole vaulter is rallying support from his university circle to help him prepare for this race, especially with only twenty days left until the event.

Response to Mondo Duplantis’ post has been very positive

The response to Mondo Duplantis’ post was overwhelmingly positive. Dennis Shaver replied, “Mondo, you got this!” to which the pole vaulter responded, “Sending you block vids soon, coach!” Shaver, who has been coaching track and field at Louisiana State University for many years, has won numerous honors and led his athletes to NCAA titles, making his input highly valuable. Vernon L. Norwood also replied to the post, saying, “I got you, king!” Norwood, a four-time Olympic medalist, including two from Paris, will be able to provide the essential advice Duplantis needs.

However, he is yet to receive a response from Richardson, who is undoubtedly the most notable name on the list. Recently, she achieved two of the biggest milestones in her career at the Paris Olympics. First, she won a silver medal in the 100m final with a time of 10.87 seconds. Then, she anchored the USA relay team to gold in the 4x100m, delivering the most iconic moment of this year’s Olympics. Her recent success at the track can help Duplantis a lot.

Duplantis’ 100m personal best is 10.57, which he achieved in 2018 during high school. However, according to Dagens Nyheter, he recently matched the pace of a training partner, clocking in at 10.30. Warholm’s record stands at 10.49, set in 2017. All signs currently point toward a close race, with Duplantis potentially edging out a victory if he receives the right training. The outcome will certainly be exciting to watch.