Karsten Warholm

Sports Career of Karsten Warholm | Karsten Warholm Biography

Karsten Warholm is the world record holder in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, the former Olympic Champion, and three-time World Champion in the event.

Despite being most famous for his hurdling career, he tried many events before settling into the hurdles full-time.

In 2011, his earliest season listed on his World Athletics profile, he jumped 13.76 meters in the triple jump, 1.90 meters in the high jump, 6.66 meters in the long jump, and ran 14.66 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles, still at the age of 15.

He continued to excel in these events the following year, improving to 7.32 meters in the long jump, 2.00 meters in the high jump, and 14.48 meters in the triple jump. He also ran 11.05 seconds in the 100-meter and 22.15 seconds in the 200-meter, winning the Norwegian U17 Championships in both these events and winning long jump, high jump, and the short hurdles at the Norwegian U20 Championships.

Warholm had his first chance to compete internationally outside of Scandinavia in 2013 when he competed in the combined events at the World Youth Championships, winning the boys’ octathlon (eight combined events).

Warholm continued improving through 2014, winning the Norwegian U20 Championships in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, and 400-meter hurdles. He also won the long jump with a jump of 7.42 meters and the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.33 seconds. At the World U20 Championships, he competed in the decathlon and finished tenth.

Warholm stuck with the decathlon the next year, finishing second at the European Junior Championships in Sweden. He occasionally ran the 400-meter hurdles, running a best of 51.47 seconds in Finland on August 29.

By 2016, Warholm started shifting his focus. He still competed in the long jump and short sprints, but dedicated most of his outdoor season to the 400-meter hurdles and 400-meter. He qualified for his first Olympic Games after running a time of 48.84 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles in the semi-finals of the European Championships. He went on to finish sixth in the final.

At the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Warholm set a personal best in the 400-meter hurdle heats of 48.49 seconds and came close to this time again in the semi-final, running 48.81 seconds and narrowly missing the final.

Warholm’s Diamond League debut came the next year at home in Oslo. He showed no signs of nerves, winning the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best time of 48.25 seconds. He went under this time again at the World Championships in London, running 48.22 seconds and capturing his first world title.

Through 2018, Warholm continued to move up the all-time list in the hurdles, running 47.64 seconds at the European Athletics Championships in Berlin, winning narrowly over Turkey’s Yasmani Copello.

Warholm ran a perfect season in 2019, going undefeated and capturing the World Championship title with a time of 47.42 seconds in the final. He also won the Diamond League Final in Zurich, running under 47 seconds for the first time, posting 46.92 seconds.

Much of the 2020 season was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Warholm raced the 400-meter once in February, competed in the 300-meter hurdles once in June, and postponed the rest of the season until late August, once again running under 47 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 46.87 seconds at the BAUHAUS-Galan Diamond League.

Warholm was already established as the second-best hurdlers of all time heading into the 2021 season, but he would move into the top spot when he broke the world record previously held by Kevin Young with a time of 46.70 seconds at the Bislett Games. He broke his own record a month later at the Tokyo Olympics, running 45.94 seconds.

Post World Record and Olympic Championship

Warholm went into the 2022 season as one of the favorites to win the World Championships, but injuries that had plagued him since his first race would hamper his season. At the World Championships, he chopped his steps into the eighth hurdle and lost his momentum. Unable to recover, he finished seventh but later rallied and won the European Championships in Munich.

Warholm found himself on top of the podium again at the World Championships the next year in Budapest after running 46.89 seconds in the final.

Going into the 2024 Olympics, eyes were on Warholm to see if he could repeat his title. He had a strong showing at the European Championships in Rome in June, winning with a time of 46.98 seconds heading into the Olympics.

Although he would put up a good showing, the American Rai Benjamin would best him in the final, running a personal best time of 46.46 seconds. Warholm settled for second with 47.06 seconds, just ahead of Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos.

Warholm battled injuries through much of 2025 and ended his season by finishing fifth at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Karsten Warholm Personal Life and Other Facts | Who Is Karsten Warholm?

Warholm’s first race came when he was about 7–8 years old, running in jeans and sneakers. He grew up playing football (soccer) and was a fan of Manchester United.

On September 4, 2025, the Zurich Diamond League meeting hosted “Karsten vs. Mondo,” where Warholm raced the pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis head-to-head. Duplantis won the event with a personal best of 10.37 seconds, while Warholm finished with a personal best of 10.47 seconds.

One of Warholm’s hobbies is building with Lego, saying in an interview with Olympics.com, “I built everything, I built Old Trafford, the Tower Bridge – the one in London. Now I’m building the new Lamborghini Lego. I built the Disney Castle but, in the past, I built a lot of other things, Bugatti, Porsche.”

Warholm is coached by Leif Olav Alnes.

He has expressed a preference for lane 7, given the choice. About a quarter of the population of Norway watched him run at the 2019 World Championships.

In an interview with Redbull, he listed some of his favorite tracks as the Bislett track in Oslo, the Queen Elizabeth track in London, and the Tokyo track that hosted the Olympics.

FAQs | Karsten Warholm

Who Won the Race Between Mondo Duplantis and Karsten Waholm? | Mondo Duplantis vs Karsten Warholm

Mondo Duplantis won the head-to-head race against Karsten Warholm. He ran 10.37 seconds while Warholm ran 10.47 seconds. 

How Many Medals Does Karsten Warholm Have?

Karsten Warholm has two medals from the Olympics, gold and silver. He also has three gold medals from the World Championships.

How Tall is Karsten Warholm?

Karsten Warholm is roughly 187 centimeters tall or about 6’2″.