Mondo Duplantis 'still ready’ to challenge Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in a 100m race

Olympic pole vault champion Mondo Duplantis is still ready to make good on his prediction of beating three-time gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce across 100m.

During a press conference in 2022, in which the pair were on the same panel, Duplantis alluded to his desire to try his hand at the sprint, having run it in high school before.

In response, Fraser-Pryce asked the Swede: “Will you say you can do a 100m against me?”

The Jamaican is known as a ‘Pocket Rocket’, such is her dominance in the sprint field.

But Duplantis is seemingly unphased by her status, replying: “I would beat you, yeah.”

The pair shook hands on it and, now two years later, the pole vaulter is still ready to try his hand on the track.

During a presser at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czechia, he was asked about his desire to contest the sprint race.

“I’m still ready to do it,” he responded.

“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.”

With Fraser-Pryce planning on retiring after Paris 2024, this may be the year their plans of running alongside one another come to fruition.