This is a fantastic match straight out of a fan book: Who would win if two Nordic sports gods were put on the line in Zurich and pitted against each other in the purest form of sport?

The world of track and field will find out on Wednesday night when Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Karsten Warholm will clash in a world record clash in Zurich, where they will face off in what is likely the third most anticipated 100-meter race of the year. The pair are gods in their own fields, but here they are outside their comfort zones. Duplantis reached heights never before achieved as a pole vaulter, and Warholm is a three-time world champion in the 400-meter hurdles. But neither has been tested at elite level in a blue-ribbon track and field event.

It could be argued that both are likely winners: the ability of the fierce Warholm to survive in his usual discipline suggests he will have the upper hand in the final 50 metres, but Duplantis’s explosiveness and acceleration are key elements of his breakthrough pole vaulting achievements. Both achieved similar times as teenage track and field polymaths – and both exude confidence.

“I think it was my suggestion,” Duplantis explained on the eve of the race. “It was amazing because it was so casual and just so good. It was two guys challenging each other with testosterone. We just wanted to compete in whatever it was.

“I love sprinting. I feel good and I feel like I’m at a level where I can compete with this guy. The juices are flowing. I’m less confident in it than I am in the pole vault, but there’s nothing like that split second before the gun goes off. It’s the most energy you can have.”

It is probably a cause for concern for the sport that an exhibition of this kind has attracted far more attention than the packed Diamond League programme that follows a night later in Zurich. Of course, this is a meeting of two non-elite sprinters – and on sporting merit alone, there is probably no reason to hold it.

But there’s a reason the race has fired up the imagination. Both Duplantis and Warholm relished the opportunity to compete for relatively low stakes, engaging in a carefree war of words, while the Swede admitted that it helped him “keep hungry” because he had little left to prove. The large unknowns add uncertainty and a strange sense of danger.

“It makes sense to me and Mondo,” Warholm said Tuesday night, joking and chatting with Duplantis at a pre-race news conference. “As much as I would criticize him, there are a lot of nerves in this competition.

“I’ve never seen him sprint 100m; he’s never seen me sprint 100m. We don’t know ourselves – we just want to see. We didn’t create the buzz, the event created the buzz – people want to see it, it’s something new and exciting.

“I don’t even know who’s going to win – but I wouldn’t shake his hand if I wasn’t confident, that’s for sure. I’ll give him everything I’ve got, and I’m sure he’ll do the same.”

The launch of Michael Johnson’s Global Grand Slam Track League next year has reignited the conversation about how to cultivate greater interest in track and field, with the American sprinting great hoping to shake up the landscape by building personas and telling stories in new ways.

There is skepticism about how far Johnson can go in achieving his goals, but the radical rethink is certainly welcome. Too much of the current track and field program simply doesn’t cut it, with too many events but too few star races, because some stars avoid each other. Perhaps adding a fun factor by taking them out of their comfort zones could encourage greater participation and allow the athletes’ natural personalities to shine through.

While the concept is undoubtedly flashy, Karsten vs. Mondo has certainly drawn attention back to track and field in the post-Olympic period, when the sport has traditionally struggled. “Everyone is talking about how we need something to light up the track and field world,” Warholm added. “The amount of interest and anticipation people have for it has exceeded my expectations. I think everyone is waiting for a real fight.”

“Karsten vs Mondo” can be watched for free on worldathletics.org and redbull.com at 20:30 (BST) on Wednesday 4th September