\n
World indoor 60m record holder, Christian Coleman of the USA opened his season in Shanghai with a 9.86 second place in the 100m last month – which still stands as a world-leading time – and the 23-year-old intends to show improvements as his makes his debut in the Norweigian capital on Thursday:<\/p>\n
"There\u2019s a lot of things I\u2019m working on – some bad habits crept up in my first race and I didn\u2019t perform as well as I wanted to but I was still satisfied. I took a lot of positives and negatives from it, it was a good opener from me,\u201d the world indoor 60m champion explained. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been here before – I want a good experience, to come out with the win and better my time from a month ago.\u201d The world 100m silver medalist – who finished the 2018 season as world number one courtesy of his 9.79 lifetime best in Brussels – continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided to miss indoors so I started my fall conditioning in January instead of November, and we pushed the whole schedule back to prolong the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going into more speed training now – we\u2019re focusing on nailing down my race pattern and running consistently. I\u2019ve been working on the transition from my start (the start is my strength) and on my finishing phase – getting more races under my belt will help, staying more relaxed and holding my form.\u201d<\/p>\n
The victor in the Rabat, Birmingham and Brussels IAAF Diamond League events last year, Coleman revealed: <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019m where I want to be – I feel healthy and that\u2019s the main goal. I had a hamstring injury last year so it\u2019s good to be here this time, my goal is to compete well on the main stage in Doha (at the IAAF World Championships) later this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining in past month has gone well so I\u2019m excited. With the world\u2019s pushed back a bit, I only want to run a few races before (the US) trials and I have to be really diligent in training – it\u2019s important not to race too much.\u201d <\/p>\n
On his ambitions for the Qatari capital, he continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely want to double in Doha (in the 100m and 200m event) – I\u2019m doing the 100m here and the 200m next week – I\u2019ve not run the 200m since 2017 and it will be interesting to see how the season goes with incorporating it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NCAA 100m and 200m champion and NCAA indoor 60m and 200m champion in 2017, Coleman revealed:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US team is the hardest to make in the world – I represent with pride as it\u2019s so hard to make the team, there will be four guys in the 100m and I hope to finish top three in both events. <\/p>\n
\u201cI always stay hungry and strive for more – I\u2019m never satisfied and always want to be the best. In my young career, I feel I\u2019ve done a few good things but compared to the greats and legends I look up to, I have big shoes to fill so as a natural competitor, I need to continue working hard – I hope to look back on my career and say I was best in the world.\u201d <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, two-time world 200m champion, Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands reflected on her past achievements in Oslo: The 200m winner in both 2016 and 2017, the 26-year-old said: <\/p>\n
\u201cI had a big injury problem but I\u2019m coming back faster and faster so I\u2019m happy to be here and am hoping to run fast. It\u2019s nice to come back – I like the atmosphere here very much – the people are so nice, it\u2019s really cool to come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Olympic 200m silver medalist and four-time European sprint champion has so far enjoyed an outdoor campaign which includes a 22.78 clocking for third place in Stockholm followed by a 11.06 100m victory in Hengelo recently. The 200m world number 5 in the past two summers continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t train for a long time so that\u2019s why I\u2019m racing myself fit. I\u2019ll next do the 100m in Rabat then race in Eugene – it\u2019s a long season so you need breaks in between phases of it, it\u2019s important to rest in between. I hope to win tomorrow, we\u2019ll see what the time is.\u201d<\/p>\n
A bronze medalist in the 2013 world heptathlon, Schippers explained:<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Doha, my plan is the 100m, 200m and also the 4x100m relay. I\u2019m working on my start and mainly the middle part of my race, as my finish is getting better and better. I would like medals for sure.\u201d <\/p>\n
Fresh from signing his first professional contract as an athlete, Sweden\u2019s Armand (Mondo) Duplantis is in town for his debut appearance in Oslo. <\/p>\n
The 19-year-old European champion currently leads the world rankings with a 6.00m clearance in Arizona last month, and he is keen on continuing his fine form in the next stage of his career: <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very excited to become a professional athlete – it\u2019s a very important step in my career, it was about time and I\u2019m happy to be where I am now,\u201d Duplantis revealed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s definitely a lot of expectation on me but I put a lot of pressure on myself to jump high and win medals, so the outside pressure doesn\u2019t exceed my own, I use it as motivation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The World junior champion – and 2015 world youth champion – has also cleared marks of 5.94m and 5.80m respectively this summer in the US, as he looks to repeat his 2018 world number one status – which he sealed with a huge 6.05m world junior record to capture the senior continental crown in Berlin last August. <\/p>\n
With victory in Stockholm and runner-up spots in Eugene and Paris on the IAAF Diamond League circuit in 2018, Duplantis spoke of his Oslo debut and long season ahead:<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the fans and the interaction with them, we\u2019ll get some claps going. We can\u2019t control the weather and we\u2019re all just here to compete regardless, just trying to beat each other instead of focusing on the height.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main goal for the season isn\u2019t a specific height, it\u2019s to get more 6-meter jumps under my belt. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not quite sure whether I\u2019ll do the European under23 Champs as they\u2019re on the same week as the Monaco IAAF Diamond League. I\u2019ll do the Eugene and Lausanne IAAF Diamond Leagues next. Doha will be very tough to win, I will be happy with a medal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arguably his main rival for not just the top honour in Oslo but in the season finale in Doha, is Sam Kendricks.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old American also spoke of the expectations upon his shoulders as the reigning world champion:<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing world champion is like wearing golden handcuffs – wherever go, people expect you to win – none of it is guaranteed, you have to compete for it – the day decides who will be on top that day,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n
The two-time world indoor silver medalist is a fan of this unique 2019 campaign where Doha sees the global championship staged a month later than usual:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a cool thing this being a long season as you can start as early or late as you want. I have a wild card entry for the world\u2019s – it\u2019s going to be fun,\u201d Kendricks said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe IAAF Diamond League trophy is a stand-out for the season and it\u2019s important for me to challenge for it, I like the way the D.L season is structured this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
On his first appearance in Oslo and on his season so far, the Olympic bronze medalist offered:<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone wants to blame performance on the conditions but we\u2019re all dealt the same hand and will do our best rain or shine. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a 6-meter meeting record here, that\u2019s a beast of a bar. Getting a meeting record ties you to the history of that venue – I achieved it in Hengelo and hope to put up my best tomorrow – I\u2019m a competition jumper, the more I get to compete, the better I get.\u201d<\/p>\n
The world number one in past two indoor seasons, the 6.00m vaulter took victory in Doha and Stockholm recently and in addition to five wins on the IAAF Diamond League circuit in 2018, Kendricks is keen to add to his collection. <\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Norway\u2019s Sondre Guttormsen – who improved by 34cm to 5.75m last season – is looking forward to competing in front of his home crowd. The 20-year-old – who was sixth in the IAAF World junior Championships last summer – explained:<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a minor injury for 12 weeks but I am 100% healthy now and ready to take on the outdoor season – I\u2019m excited to see what I can do here. It\u2019s very exciting to jump in front of a home crowd, I\u2019ll definitely take advantage of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sixth at the European indoor Championships in Glasgow back in March and fresh from a 5.60m clearance in Texas recently, he continued:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis will be my first competition in Europe, next will be Germany and then the European under23 champs before Doha. I\u2019m used to the weather here – we prefer better weather but can\u2019t change it and we all get the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
The national record holder indoors and out revealed his main goal to be the magical six-meter mark:<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery pole vaulter dreams about it,\u201d he gushed.<\/p>\n
Nicola Sutton for the Bislett Games media team.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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