After simmering for over a year, the rivalry between the pole vaulting great Armand Duplantis and the 400m champion sprinter Karsten Warholm will finally materialize on the tracks. The 100m spectacle between Duplantis and Warholm is on and is scheduled a day before the Zurich Diamond League on September 4, 2024, in Zurich. Duplintas has recently broken his own record for the 9th time, touching 6.25m at the Paris Olympics, while Warholm added a silver to his Olympics medal tally in the 400 m hurdles at the summer events.

Their clash on the track will indeed be a sprinting spectacle. However, another sprinting star from the USA has injected even more excitement into the mix. Joining the ongoing frenzy over the incoming clash, Fred Kerley has teased his own clash against an unlikely opponent. So, what’s the deal with Kerley, and who is the surprise opponent?

Is Fred Kerley ready to take a surprise opponent in the 1vs1 race?

The Karsten Warholm vs. Mondo Duplantis clash in 100m has fans already excited to the brim over the outcome. However, a recent tweet from Fred Kerley, the Paris Olympic bronze medalist in 100m and the eighth fastest man in 400m with a personal best of 43.64, has sent ripples across the track and field community. Adding fuel to the fire that is already raging since the news broke about the Warholm and Duplantis tussle, Kerley posted an open challenge for a race in 150 against anyone. “Let me do a 1v1 in 150 vs anybody,” is exactly what his tweet read. But the stakes were quickly raised even higher. One user, YourFavoriteBlackBoy, tagged Kerley, asking him whether he is up for a 300m clash against Rai Benjamin. And that’s where the drama intensified further.

Kerley responded quickly, stating, “We already have that conversation.” That was enough for the track and field world to go abuzz with excitement. Rai Benjamin has an impressive resume that was further extended recently with two Olympic golds. If it happens, the potential matchup could be the most explosive event in track and field history. But who will win if the race happens?

Kerley vs. Benjamin: Who will win?

Before it could materialize on the track, it’s hard to predict who will win between Fred Kerley and Rai Benjamin. Both are exceptional sprinters with different strengths. Fred Kerley is a force to be reckoned with in 100m and 200m and is renowned for his explosive start. He is the sixth fastest man in 100m history with a personal best of 9.76s. However, a bronze in 100m at the Paris Olympics must have pushed his confidence to the skies, which may help him take on any challenge.

On the other hand, Rai Benjamin is a 400m specialist known for his explosive closing speed. His strength and endurance saw him clinch two gold medals at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. Rai Benjamin graced the podium with a gold medal in the 4x400m relay and 400m hurdles for the US. Besides that, he has stacked two golds in the World Championships and was no. 1 at the 2023 Diamond League in 400m hurdles. Both are indeed formidable opponents of their own accord. If a one-on-one against Fred Kerley and Rai Benjamin happened, fans would undoubtedly be in for a great spectacle of strength, endurance, and speed.