Mondo Duplantis 'ready' to race Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce - “I have been wanting to run the 100m since 2018”

By Abhiruchi Rout

Modified May 30, 2024 21:50 GMT

Pole vault world record holder, Mondo Duplantis recently discussed his readiness to compete against 10-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100m. Duplantis last ran the 100m when he was in high school in 2018.

Duplantis’s next stop is the 2024 Ostrava Golden Spike, where he will be competing for the third time in the event’s history and will have his sights set on breaching the world record for the ninth time, having previously broken it during the Xiamen Diamond League with a best effort of 6.24m.

Ahead of his event in the Czech Republic, Mondo Duplantis was asked if he was ready to face Fraser-Pryce in the 100m race (during a press conference of the Ostrava Golden Spike). The Swedish pole vaulter responded to this, stating:

“I am still ready to do it. I have been wanting to run the 100m since 2018, when I ran it in high school. I hope I can do it sooner rather than later. It would not be until after the Olympics, but I would not like to do it too late to still be in shape.”

During the meet conference of the 2022 Brussels Diamond League, Fraser-Pryce challenged Duplantis to a battle involving the two. She asked:

“I have one question for Mondo, right here from Jamaica. Will you say you can do a 100m against me?”

Mondo Duplantis then asked:

“Wait, what did you say, against you?”

She gave her confirmation and Duplantis responded by saying:

“Um, I would beat you, yeah.”

However, the two have yet to face one another in the 100m. Duplantis’ last race in the 100m was at the 2018 Baton Rouge LHSAA Championships, where he finished in 10.74s (+3.9 m/s). Prior to that, he had competed in the Alexandria LHSAA Region 5A-1 Championships, where he came in first, having completed the race in 10.57s (+2.1 m/s).

A look into Mondo Duplantis’ achievements

Armand Duplantis of Team Sweden celebrates after the Men's Pole Vault Final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Apart from being a Tokyo Olympics gold medalist and setting the world record on multiple occasions, Duplantis has won the World Athletics Championships in his signature event twice in 2023 and 2022, alongside being the runner-up in 2019.

He defended his World Indoor Championships earlier this year in Glasgow with a best clearance of 6.05m, having previously collected the title in 2022. In addition, he has won the prestigious Wanda Diamond League final consecutively from 2021 to 2023. He has also bagged the European Championships twice, in 2018 and 2022.

In 2024, Duplantis wants to win a hat trick of European Championship titles in addition to defending his Olympic title.