Fans of sports around the world have been left in disbelief by an Olympic pole vault champion who challenged a 400m world record holder in a 100m sprint.
This unpredictability is exactly why sport captivates us so much.
The biggest upsets generate the most buzz because of their shock value.
A major surprise recently emerged at the Zurich Diamond League Weltklasse event, where Mondo Duplantis, a pole vault champion, achieved a personal best time.
On Wednesday (4 September), the Swedish athlete even managed to beat Karsten Warholm in a 100m sprint race.
Although this might not initially seem impressive, it is important to note that Warholm holds the world record in the 400 meters.
Duplantis had an exceptional start, with Warholm pulling even alongside him at one point.
Nonetheless, the Swede eventually pulled ahead, securing the race victory.
“I’m pretty fired up. How could I not be?” the pole vaulter commented to reporters after the win.
Warholm added: “I gotta give it to Mondo, he beat me today fair and square. It was a great race, he was out of the blocks fast.”
Despite pre-race trash talk, the athletes maintained a high level of respect for each other.
A video of the race has since been posted on Twitter and Reddit, leaving most viewers amazed after watching it.
“Bro is completing side quests atm,” one viewer joked, while another added: “Good stuff. I’d love to see them do this again… this time over 200m.
Karsten would probably have the edge over the longer distance; or if not, it would probably be closer than today’s race was.”
Another spectator offered their perspective: “We have to understand that to be the top world Pole Vault athlete you have to approach the bar at speeds close to 40 KM/H (25 MPH), not to mention the incredible strength that one must have in the upper limbs to withstand the energy that the pole exerts to return to its linearity. All this accompanied by incredible technique and body control.”
While Duplantis stole the spotlight, Warholm did manage to set a personal record on Wednesday.
He improved on his previous best of 10.49, which he achieved back in 2017.