In 2021, Karsten Warholm became Olympic champion in the 400 meter hurdles in Tokyo, beating the world record in the final (45 s 94). Injured on June 5 in a meeting in Rabat (Morocco), the 26-year-old Norwegian will nevertheless try to defend his world title in Eugene from the playoffs, scheduled for Saturday July 16. “I feel like I haven’t done everything I could do yet”he assured in an interview with Mondemade a few days before this injury.
Your year 2021 has been incredible with an Olympic title and two world records. How did you digest it?
Everything I ever wanted has come true. It’s a lot to digest but it’s also fantastic. I only took a week’s vacation. High level sport works like this: work to stay at the top level. 2021 will be a career-defining year.
When you have won everything at just 26, how do you rekindle your motivation?
I’m still young. There are still many years where I can perform well. At the same time, I have already achieved all possible goals. So my current motivation is probably more similar to what I had when I started playing this sport. I want to see how good I can be and I feel like I haven’t done everything I could do yet.
In 2017, in London, you are world champion for the first time with the slowest time in history (48 s 35). Four years later, you go under 46 seconds. Tell us about this progress.
Win the gold medal in London was a game changer in my life and career. I understood that great things were accessible to me. I remember that after my victory, a Norwegian newspaper pointed out that it was a slow time. After that, I started working, working and working. I wanted to recreate that moment. Then, very strong competitors arrived. We pulled each other up. You should also know that before 2016 I had not done 400m hurdles, because I was a decathlete. In 2017, I was therefore very new in this discipline.
Beating your American rival Rai Benjamin in Eugene, on Nike land, would be something strong for an athlete sponsored by Puma…
That’s right, it’s a Nike World Championship. With Puma, we have developed good equipment. I think it will scare a lot of people. It is essential for me to try to always be in a position where I can win. If I don’t, it’s a lack of respect for my competitors. It won’t be easy for them and it probably won’t be easy for me either.
There is also the Brazilian Alison dos Santos, who has run the fastest this season. Did this competition play a role in your exploits?
It is a blessing. I’m grateful. Ray [Benjamin] pushed me towards a better time. Even though there is a rivalry, there is also a lot of respect. I hope everyone is excited to watch the 400m hurdles in Eugene, because it’s going to be something!
You said you don’t need to run a lot to run fast. Is this still a strategy that you will use this year?
With experience, we learn to choose these moments. I’m the type of guy who likes to run when he feels fit. This year, everything is played on the championships, world first and then European [à Munich, en août].
You come from a small island in the middle of a fjord 500 kilometers from Oslo. Norwegian footballer Ada Hegerberg talks about the influence of her environment on her character and her success. What about you?
Ada is a wonderful girl. In the fjords you grow up in difficult conditions. It’s cold, it’s raining, it’s windy. But we learn to be creative from a very young age. There are many things that have made me stronger. Many of my competitors grew up with the sun and always had good weather to train with. But I found other ways. It’s one of my secrets. It’s a mentality that takes me further. I kinda run with an attitude forged from the harsh climate I grew up in [sourire].
In an interview at The Team, the former European record holder in the 400m hurdles Stéphane Diagana compared you to a sled dog who can’t stand being deprived of exercise. Does this speak to you?
Stefan is right. I’m probably not the fastest guy but I’m probably the one who can handle the most practice.
You define your running style as non-academic and more about efficiency than technique. Your coach taught you to focus on your strengths. Is this one of your secrets?
Leif [Olav Alnes] is very good for that. Training under him has been a blessing because he knows what to do. He keeps telling me: don’t focus too much on all the things you’re bad at because it’s the things you’re good at that will win you races. Of course, we also work on my weaknesses, trying to improve them, but not to the detriment of the strong points.
How do you feel when you’ve entered the history of athletics like Bob Beamon or Sergei Bubka?
It’s an honor to be in the company of these guys. They had a huge impact on the sport and people still talk about their records and what they achieved. I hope people will continue to appreciate what I’ve done for years to come. I want to do my best to continue to write my name in the annals.
Is it more difficult to enter posterity for a Norwegian athlete than an American athlete?
Yes and no. Obviously Norway is a small country and there are advantages to coming from a bigger country. No matter what sport you play, I think you are always more famous in your home country. But in Norway we get a lot of attention as sports people. Right now athletics is probably one of the biggest sports in Norway. It makes it easier for me to find sponsors.
Since the retirement of Usain Bolt (world record holder in the 100 and 200 m) and despite records like yours or that of Armand Duplantis (pole vault record holder), no athlete emerges as a superstar. Is it unfair?
Interest is a very fascinating thing. You can’t force people to be interested in something. Track and field is a great sport: you can throw, you can jump, you can run. The lack of interest is not fair or unfair, but it requires working on it in the future to change things.