“Warming up” before the Bislett party on 15 June

On Sunday, Jakob Ingebrigtsen begins the 2023 track season during the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat. The 1500 meters in Morocco brings together some of the best. But the Oslo Bislett Games on Thursday 15 June brings together eight of the top nine in the World Ranking. Rabat will give a clue, but Bislett will give more answers.

In Rabat, the top-ranked Sandnes boy will meet, among others, Kenyan Abel Kipsang, Australian Oliver Hoare and Spanish Mario Garcia. Three competitors ranked within the top nine.

But when it comes to Bislett, the only thing missing is last year’s World Champion Jake Wightman, who suffered a foot injury during training in South Africa in January and has set his sights on the World Championships in Budapest. The other eight in the top nine are confirmed and have their ranking in brackets, best record and merits from the last Olympics and World Championships:

Jakob Ingebrigtsen (1) 3:28.32. Olympic champion 2021. 2022 World Championships silver.

Abel Kipsang (3) from Kenya 3:29.56. Number four in the 2021 Olympics. Number seven in the 2022 World Championships.

Timothy Cheruiyot (4) of Kenya 3:28.28. Olympic silver 2021. Number six in the 2022 World Championships.

Oliver Hoare (5) from Australia 3:30.12. Olympic finalist 2021.

Mohamed Katir (6) from Spain 3:28.76. World Championships bronze 2022.

Josh Kerr (7) of Great Britain 3:29.05. Olympic bronze 2021. Number five in the 2022 World Championships.

Mario Garcia (8) from Spain 3:30.20. Number four in the 2022 World Championships.

Neil Gourley (9) of Great Britain 3:32.93.

Cheruiyot, Jakob and Katir are also number seven, eight and ten at the All Time World List.

Last year, Jakob, as the first Norwegian in Diamond League history, won the Dream Mile at Bislett. This year his target is to do the same in the 1500 metres.