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Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, and futurist who developed the alternating current (AC) electrical system that powers the modern world. He held over 300 patents, conceived of wireless transmission of energy, and imagined technologies — free global energy, remote-controlled vehicles, radar — decades before the technology to realize them existed. He died in 1943, alone and nearly penniless, while his rival Thomas Edison died celebrated and wealthy. History has since corrected the record: the world runs on Tesla's ideas.

Tesla's words carry the specific bitterness and confidence of a man who knew he was right and knew he would not live to see it proved. He was correct on both counts. His future — our present — is exactly what he said it would be: a world of wireless power, electric motors, global communication. The Monaco Diamond League, one of athletics' most prestigious events, connects to Tesla's spirit: the world's fastest runners and highest jumpers are also working for a future version of themselves — a personal best that doesn't exist yet but that they are certain they can reach. The present belongs to whoever is winning today. The future belongs to whoever is still working.