With 400m hurdles legend Edwin Moses watching from the stands local hero, Karsten Warholm set a new national record of 48.25 as he came home in first place in the same event. He timed his race perfectly and led from the front at the final hurdle. He held off the strong challenges of Yasmani Copello of Turkey who took second place in a season’s best of 48.44 and Ireland’s Thomas Barr who was third in 48.95.
Warholm takes the eight points and goes into third place in the Road to the Final in his first Diamond League event of 2017 following his impressive 44.87 in a flat 400m last weekend.
Warholm said “It was really great doing it here at Bislett and show that I can do it more than once like in Floro. I felt strong and I ran strong but it was hard from the eighth hurdle. I was near the last hurdle and changed to 15 steps. I had no more to give and that’s one of my strengths. It means a lot to do it here at Bislett.”
Pre-race favourite and Olympic Champion, Kerron Clement came in a disappointing eighth.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen had the Stadium on its feet as he stormed through the field to win the U20 Dream Mile in an incredible 3:56.29, a world record for a sixteen year old. It follows his 3:58.07 in Eugene last month when he became the youngest ever athlete to achieve a sub 4 minute mile.
After the race he said “This was crazy. I felt very strong today and the spectators were amazing, unbelievable. I could have run faster today but it doesn’t matter.”
Older brother, Filip Ingrebrigtsen was fourth in the men’s 1500m which was won, perhaps surprisingly, by Jake Wightman of Great Britain in a huge personal best of 3:34.17, beating pre-race favourite and leader in the Road to the Final, Kenya’s Elijah Manangoi.
Manangoi’s second place, in 3:34.30, moves him to 22 points. Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski was third in a personal best of 3:34.60.
There was a meeting record for Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim as he cleared a world lead 2.38m on his second attempt at that height having already safely won this evening’s men’s high jump. The previous 2.37m record had stood since 1989. Barshim extended his Diamond League Road to the Final lead and now has 24 points.
The super consistent Bohdan Bondarenko of Ukraine opened his 2017 season with second place with a leap of 2.29m. Reigning Olympic and World Champion Derek Drouin of Canada, who has been also training for the decathlon, was third with his 2.25m clearance.
Briton Robbie Grabarz remains in second place in the Road to the Final after tonight’s seventh place.
Olympic silver medal winner, Canadian Andre De Grasse made a winning return to Oslo to take the men’s 100m in a season’s best of 10.01. He moves up to 17 points on the Road to the Final.
After his victory De Grasse said “It felt good, weather was great. I ran my season’s best. I hope it will continue in Stockholm and I will be able to get my sub 10 before the Canadian trials. Yes it was very close so I must look at the race. For sure I can improve my start.”
In a strong field it was one of most competitive events of the evening with just two-hundredth of a second separating the first three athletes. Briton, CJ Ujah was second equaling his season’s best 10.02 and moving into second place in the Road to the Final with 13 points. Third place went to Ben Youssef Meite of the Ivory Coast, also a season’s best of 10.03.
Dutch superstar Dafne Schippers celebrated her birthday with victory in the women’s 200m. After a disqualification she ran ‘on appeal’ and was reinstated. She could not match her Stadium reord of last year with her winning time of 22.31. Murielle Ahouré of Ivory Coast was second in 22.74 in her first 200m of the season.
Jamaica’s Simone Facey was third in a season’s best 22.77.
Schippers now leads the Road to the Final with 20 points.
Other events as it happened:
Pole Vault women
World Champion, CubanYarisley Silva took the eight points and first place with a clearance of 4.81m. She moves clear in the Road to the Final, now with 21 points. Second place went to Anzhelika Sidorova who cleared a season’s best 4.75m with German, Lisa Ryzih third with a leap of 4.65m.
Olympic bronze medallist from Rio, Eliza McCartney (NZ) disappointed going out at 4.55m.
Men’s 400m
With the current top four in the Road to the Final absent it was a chance for other athletes to pick up important points with 20 year old, Baboloki Thebe of Botswana taking advantage and adding the maximum eight qualifying points to his seven from Eugene.
His fast finish over the final 100m saw him pip Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain finishing in 44.95 with Hudson-Smith holding on for second in a season’s best of 45.16. Czech, Pavel Maslak came in third in 45.52.
Women’s 100m hurdles
It was the closest of finishes in the women’s 100m hurdles with German, Pamela Dutkiewicz pipping Olympic bronze medallist, Kristi Castlin and local favourite, Isabelle Pedersen right on the line.
The 2010 World Junior Champion, Pedersen, tumbled across the line as she dipped, missed the Norwegian record by just one hundredth of a second but set a personal best of 12.75. American, Castlin was given the same time.
Dutkiewicz, finishing in 12.73, takes her first eight Road to the Final points.
Women’s Long Jump
Olympic and world champion, American Tianna Bartoletta won the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.79m in her penultimate jump. She leads the Road to the Final with 15 points.
Darya Klishna was second with a season’s best jump of 6.75m. German Claudia Rath took third place with her last jump of 6.63m.
Women’s 3000m steeplechase
Kenyan Norah Jeruto left it late to win in a new Kenyan record of 9:17.27 by the closest of margins from Sofia Assefa of Ethiopia who was second in 9:17.34.
Assefa, the London 2012 silver medalist, moves to the top of the Road to the Final with ten points. Jeruto moves to third place with today’s maximum eight points.
Sadly for the local spectators, Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal was a late withdrawal after suffering cramp during the warm up.
800m women
Olympic champion, Caster Semenya of South Africa won the 800m in 1:57.59 and has now taken a maximum 24 points from her three IAAF Diamond League qualifying meetings. In second place was Olympic silver medalist, Francine Niyonsaba (BDI) in 1:58.18 with Kenya’s, Margaret Wambui third in 1:59.17.
Young, local favourite, Hedda Hynne finished ninth in a season’s best 2:01.05.
Men’s Discus
Daniel Stahl of Sweden took the win with final throw of 68.06m with Ferick Dacres second throwing 67.10m. Stahl is top of the Road to the Final standings with 14 points.
Women’s Discus
Olympic champion, Sandra Perkovic with her throw of 66.79m was first with Yaimi Perez second with her throw in a season’s best 66.24m. Perkovic has the maximum 16 points after two Diamond League qualifying events.
