Paris Olympics champion Mondo Duplantis calls for help from Sha'Carri Richardson and LSU coach for 100m clash against Karsten Warholm

By Marie Amani

Modified Aug 14, 2024 15:53 GMT

Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis will clash against 400m hurdles silver medallist Karsten Warholm in a 100m dash on the eve of the Diamond League Meeting in Zurich. As he gears up for the race, Duplantis has sought help from Sha’Carri Richardson, Vernon Norwood, and Louisiana State University coach Dennis Shaver.

Duplantis and Warholm will face off at the Letzigrund Stadium on Wednesday, September 4. The race will mark their first event since the Paris Olympics.

Mondo Duplantis shattered his world record in Paris, clearing a stunning 6.25m to successfully defend his title from the Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Warholm was pipped by Rai Benjamin in the 400m hurdles. The Norwegian hurdler finished second in the hotly contested race.

For his exhibition race against Warholm, Duplantis wants the tutelage of Richardson, Norwood, and coach Shaver to perfect his skills and have a steady start off the blocks. In a post on his X handle, Duplantis said:

"Imma need @Vernon400m, @LSUCoachShaver, @itsshacarri to tap in to get me right in these blocks🫡."

Richardson is an accomplished sprinter in her own right, and is fresh from winning the Olympic silver medal in the 100m and gold medal in the 4x100m relay.

On his part, Vernon Norwood was vital for Team USA as they won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay and gold in the men’s 4x400m at the Paris Olympics. Shaver is an accomplished coach, having been at LSU since 1995. He has coached 57 athletes to 63 NCAA event titles, as well as several Olympians, and All-American athletes.

The duo will be leaving their comfort zones and the race will be a rare outing for them. However, they have raced the 100m before, with Warholm clocking 10.49s in 2017. Duplantis has a personal best time of 10.57s, which he ran while in high school in 2018.

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"He blew me off"- Mondo Duplantis speaks on Karsten Warholm previously snubbing his request for 100m clash

Mondo Duplantis speaks on Karsten Warholm snubbing his request for 100m clash (Source: Getty Images)

Mondo Dulantis said that when he first requested a clash against Karsten Warholm, the Norwegian brushed him off.

"When I first suggested it to him, he blew me off a little bit as far as thinking it would be a competition or not. When I first suggested it to him, he was kind of like, 'Oh okay, you really think you can beat me? All right, whatever.' That was more the vibe that I got," Duplantis said.

According to Athletics Weekly, Mondo Duplantis requested the clash in July 2023. One year later, the two will be making this contest a reality.