Moments to remember

There were almost five hours of World class athletic action to watch at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games in Oslo yesterday evening. Some of the finest athletes disappointed because of external factors like the wind or because of their personal performances. But the moments to remember were in large number superior. These are 10 of them.

1
David Rudisha’s new meeting record over 800m. For 31 years, the crowd at the Bislett stadium had to wait for a performance which would break Sebastian Coe’s record from 1979. "David Rudisha won a highly anticipated battle in the 800 against Abubaker Kaki Khamis of Sudan”, Canada’s Golbe and Mail commented.

2
Asafa Powell’s flashlight to 9,72 seconds over 100 meters. Ok, the wind was just a little bit too strong to make the time legal. "Powell explodes in Oslo”, Jamaica’s “The Gleaner” writes today, June 5th.

3
Another meeting record came in women’s 3000m steeplechase, achieved by Kenya’s Milcah Chemos Cheiywa. AFP spread the news: Cheiywa was also in sparkling form as she ran the fastest women’s 3000m steeplechase of the season with a time of 9min 12.66sec.

4
Those who waited until the end (almost everybody) cheered for another World Lead time in the Dream Mile. Reuters wrote: “Kenyan Asbel Kiprop was accompanied by the sound of African drums as he took Friday’s victory over the distance in 3:49.56, the fastest time of the year.”

5 
The duel for the 2 meter mark in the high jump. The clash between Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic and US-girl Chaunte Howard-Lowe ended with a victory of the European. Athletics Weekly wrote: “In the high jump, Blanka Vlasic returned to form with a win over the world No.1 Chaunte Howard-Lowe. The Croat cleared a season’s best of 2.01m to defeat the US record-holder on countback.”

6
American record over 5000m. “A two-time Olympic and three-time World Outdoor medalist, Bernard Lagat ran a strategic race and finished third in 12:54.12 to break the previous American record of 12:56.27 set by Dathan Ritzenhein last year”, USATF wrote on their website. The race was won by Imane Merga (ETH) in 12:53.81.

7
Andreas Thorkildsen’s victory in the javelin. Well, 86 m is not a great mark, but good enough to celebrate the third victory within five years (2006, 2008, 2010).

8
5,80m in the pole vault does not seem a great result, but the conditions weren’t easy at all. Read the Times of India: “Renaud Lavillenie made the best of an unpredictable wind to win the event, clearing 5.70 metres on his first attempt to beat Germany’s Malte Mohr on countback.”

9

Only 8/10 of a second were between four athletes. The Windsor Star writes: “Whitby’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep battles American Lolo Jones in the women’s 100-metre hurdles at the Bislett Games in Oslo. Jones defeated Lopes-Schliep with a time of 12.66.”

10
First important victory for Nadine Müller in women’s discus throw. For the German, one valid attempt (the first one) was enough to get first place.