After some fantastic seasons, the Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis now tops the Overall World Rankings in athletics, and the Bislett audience can rejoice that the World Record holder and Olympic winner from Tokyo last summer is confirmed for this year's Oslo Bislett Games.
During this winter's indoor Word Championships, he improved his own world record to 6.20, but it hardly stops there for the 22-year-old who has won the most that can be won - apart from the outdoor World Championships. However, he will have an opportunity to do something about it in Eugene later this year.
But first he will be in action at Bislett, where he last summer set a track record with 6.01 - a record that lives dangerously on 16 June. Because it is a height he has managed 24 times in recent seasons.
The starting field at Bislett contains four more six-meter jumpers; the French legend Renaud Lavillenie (6.16), the Americans Sam Kendricks (6.06) and KC Lightfood (6.00) and Brazilian Thiago Braz (6.03). Kendricks is the reigning World Champion from Doha in 2019, and thus the last to beat Duplantis in an international championship.
Top this with three Norwegian young profiles who rapidly are closing the gap to the top of international pole vaulting, and you have a starting field that will hopefully make this evening to something extraordinarily.
During last winter, Pål Haugen Lillefosse and Sondre Guttormsen both improved the Norwegian record. Lillefosse ended up with 5.83 - one centimeter higher than Sondre. And from behind comes Sondre's little brother Simen, who improved to 5.65. There may be many who are chasing record heights this evening.
