by Alfonz Juck
This was one of the best Oslo Bislett Games in some time. Oslo is on my bucket list for 2023. The late Maurie Plante loved the meeting and help Oslo for almost three decades. Oslo has always understood that there was juggling between having local stars and global stars. In Norway, they have global stars like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and in Sweden, they have Mondo Duplantis.
Karoline Grovdal showed some amazing guts in that 5,000m race. She pushed the 3k and 4k and was in it until the last 200 meters. In the spirit of the late Grete Waitz, who thrilled the local crowd, and Ingrid Kristiansen, who set WRs here, Grovdal showed her stuff, and the crowd roared.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen showed that he can win the 1,500m and 5,000m at the Worlds. The Olympic champion at 1,500 meters just missed the 37-year-old WR of Steve Cram by .14! Oh, so close!
And the crowd roared.
Mondo Duplantis battled Mother Nature and slowly moved from 5.81m to 5.91m, and then, finally, to 6.02m. His attempts at 6.10m tired him out on that cold and rainy day.
And the crowd roared.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen close to ER
OSLO (NOR): Bislett Games, despite some rain showers, proved to be superb entertainment for the full crowd at the legendary Bislett Stadium celebrating 100 years. Jakob Ingebrigtsen delivered and nearly broke the European mile record of Steve Cram, who was among TV commentators in the stadium. But Oliver Hoare got Oceanian record. Ingebrigtsen clocked also a WL and Duplantis too with a meet record. Other meet records for Femke Bol and Pawel Fajdek.
Short reviews
100 m: Olympic champion over 200 m, Andre de Grasse, took another victory in Oslo with 10.05 best of 2022 (+0.6), followed by Reece Prescod (10.06s) and Akani Simbine (10.09s)
400 m: Kirani James won the 400m with 44.78 in cool conditions. It’s the fourth victory for James in 2022. Isaac Makwala was 2nd with 45.45 and Christopher Taylor Jamaica was 3rd with 45.52s
Dream Mile: Jakob Ingebritsen clocked 3:46.46 to take the victory in the men’s mile and became in the 6th of All time. Also, setting a new World Leading mark and a New Diamond League Record along with a national record, he became the first Norwegian runner to win this special event. His 1500 m split was 3:31.08. Oceanian record for 2nd Oliver Hoare 3:47.48 (also 1500 m PB in split 3:31.71) and PB´s for Jake Wightman 3:50.30, Neil Gourley 3:52.91 and Luxembourg record for Charles Grethen 3:53.20.
5000 m: Tilahun Haile was the winner in 5000m with 13:03.52. Samuel Tefera placed 2nd with 13:04.35 PB and steeple specialist Getnet Wale 13:04.48 in African dominated race. In 7th Adel Mechaal 13:06.02 PB and in 9th Norway´s Narve Gilje Nordas 13:15.82 PB.
110 m H: After his 12.84s last week in New York, Devon Allen won here with 13.22, clearly over Asier Martinez at 13.30
400mH: Alison dos Santos got his 4th consecutive victory in 400mH with 47.26, and in Warholm´s preferred lane 7 missed his WL only very closely.
PV: Armand Duplantis achieved his 13th consecutive victory in the pole vault after clearing 6.02m and setting a new meeting record and a new world-leading mark. He fought during rain with 592 but managed.
LJ: Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou dominated the long jump in wet conditions with 8.10 (+1.0). 2021 Diamond League winner, Thobias Montler, was 2nd with 8.05m (+0.9), and decathlete Simon Ehammer third 795 with a huge final jump which was a small foul.
HT: Unique hammer at DL meet had World champion Pawel Fajdek winning with the last throw with a new MR/DLR 80.56m. Bence Halasz was second with a season-best of 79.29 when responding to Fajdek, as he was the leader until then. Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki 3rd with 78.36 and home star Eivind Henriksen fourth with 78.23.
Women
200 m: Ida Karstoft (Denmark) ser a new national record after winning the 200m with 22.73s (+0.8) over an European field.
800 m: UK took the 1-2 in women’s 800m. Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson clocked 1:57.71, while Laura Muir was 2nd with 1:58.09.
5000 m: Ethiopia made 1-2-3 in women’s 5000m. Dawit Seayum took the victory with 14:25.84. Gudaf Tsegay was 2nd with 14:26.69, and Letesenbet Gidey came 3rd with 14:26.92. Rain during this race did not allow faster times. In fourth Karoline, Bjerkeli Grovdal improved her long-standing Norway record to 14:31.07 (her former PB was 14:43.26). The previous mark 14:37.33 from 1986 belonged to legendary Ingrid Kristiansen, who was in the stadium.
400mH: Femke Bol clocked 52.61 in women’s 400mH and broke the meeting record from 1997. Second place for Ukrainian Anna Ryzhykova with 54.81s, while British Jessie Knight was 3rd with 54.84.
DT: Sandra Perkovic (66.82m) won the women’s discus throw over Olympic champion Valarie Allman, who threw 65.91m.
SP: Chase Ealey was the best with 20.13m (PB), which is the second-best mark in 2022. Jessica Schlider set a new Dutch national record with 19.46.
Relays: In dramatic 4×400 m after the mile, Britain, with anchor Jessie Knight, clocked 3:28.57 to beat home Norway 3:28.58 NR. Third Ireland 3:29.46. In the 4×100 m in the pre-program, the Netherlands got 43.69 over Norway 44.29.
