Mondo Duplantis had an entourage of top stars like Sha'carri Richardson, Letsile Tebogo, Fred Kerley, Vernon Norwood, and Renaud Lavillenie in his corner as he defeated Karsten Warholm in 100m faceoff in Zurich.
Track stars Sha'Carri Richardson and Letsile Tebogo were two of the top athletics stars that accompanied Mondo Duplantis in his walkout 100m showdown against Karsten Warholm at the Zurich Diamond League.
In the highly anticipated face-off between the two World Record holders, the legendary athletes gave a spectacle in their 100m battle as Duplantis crossed the finish line victorious in a new Personal Best (PB) of 10.37s to Warholm's 10.47s, also a PB.
The Swedish pole vaulter's performance was highly impressive considering his last track race was in 2018 when he set his then-PB of 10.57s. And defeating the Norwegian 400mH WR holder known to do lots of speed work in training and on the competitive stage, speaks volumes of his exceptional talent as an all-round athlete.
Warholm, as the loser, will have to wear Sweden's vest when he competes at the Zurich Diamond League on September 5.
While Duplantis' triumph was highly commendable, track fans believe it was expected as he had some of the world's fastest sprinters in history in his corner and was allegedly training with them to get speed techniques and tips that would guide him to victory.
Aside from Richardson and Tebogo, Olympic 100m bronze medallist Fred Kerley, versatile 400m runner Vernon Norwood, and legendary pole vaulter Renaud Lavilenie were the other top athletics stars in his corner.
Notwithstanding, track fans have welcomed the exhibition with great excitement and have requested more inter-event athlete battles to spice up the sport.