Countdown to Bislett celebrations

It was the birth place of the Bislett Alliansen and the start of an athletics “ride” that has provided so many highlights, it is impossible to name them all. However at that first edition of the Bislett Games, the world record breaking performance of the Australian Ron Clarke in the 10,000m event set a standard of athletic excellence that had to be maintained in the subsequent 49 years.

In a meeting of many highlights the focus will be on Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba as she tries to wrest the world 5000m record away from her elder sister Tirunesh, who incidentally established the current world record mark of 14:11.15 in this very stadium some 7 years ago.

The Dream Mile has always been synonymous with the Bislett Games & indeed the World Record. The British trio of Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram all bettered the then current world record in the 70s and 80s. This year’s field promises a race of great interest as the former Olympic and World Champion Asbel Kiprop of Kenya attempts to thwart the challenge of the Djibouti juggernaut Ayanleh Souleiman. One thing is for certain, when these two and talents like Kenyan Silas Kiplagat and Norways Henrik Ingebrigtsen come together at Bislett Stadium, fast times are assured and something in the 3:45 range would not surprise.

The showpiece of the field will undoubtedly be the men’s high jump that has a confirmed field of jumpers that include five athletes with personal bests above 2.40m. The start-list contains the Olympic champion: Ukhov of Russia, the World Champion: Bondarenko of Ukraine, World Indoor Champion: Barshim of Qatar and even the Commonwealth Champion: Drouin of Canada. All have jumped higher than 2.40m! An interested spectator will be the current World Record holder, Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor who has returned to Oslo to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary.

In the 50 years of the Bislett Games, it was the Swedish athlete Anders Gärderud who was the only man to establish a World Record in the 3000m Steeplechase in the stadium. This year one of the greatest athletes of all time, Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya will be the main drawcard. A consummate racer, he has won two Olympic and three World Championship gold medals and many of them in an astounding manner. However, another young Kenyan, Jarius Birech may be the challenger that Kemboi is looking for? Birech was clearly world no. 1 in 2014 and was well under 8 minutes. With a fast pace scheduled, these two might turn this 50th Anniversary Bislett Games into a real night to remember.