2024 Bislett Games -- Oslo Diamond League

Bin Feng, the 2022 world champion threw 67.89 meters, good for #3 in the world in this year and the win in Oslo. En route to her win, Feng bested defending Olympic champion, Sandra Elkasevic who threw 66.48 meters, a new season's-best.

Two races in five day, 5,000 miles apart didn’t seem to faze Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who claimed the win in Oslo running 3:29.74.

Pacing lights were set for a sub-3:30 finish, and the field hit 800 meters in 1:51.45, with Ingebrigtsen closely following the pacers. Once the pacers stepped off, Ingebrigtsen took control of the race, with his former rival Timothy Cheruiyot following in close order. Cheruiyot made a move for the lead with 200 meters to go, but was held off by Ingebrigtsen. Cheruiyot tried again on the homestretch, forcing Ingebrigtsen to dive for across the line to secure the victory. Cheruiyot finished a mere 0.03 seconds behind in 3:29.77. 

Norwegian compatriot, and 2023 world championship bronze medalist, Narve Nordas finished far off the lead in second-to-last, running 3:34.86. While finishing in eighth place, Italy’s Pietro Arese ran 3:32.13, a new national record.

The highly anticipated men’s 400 hurdles at the Oslo Diamond League lived up to the hype as defending Olympic champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm faced off against 2022 world champion Alison Dos Santos. 

It was Warholm who got out well on the backstretch, running himself into a large lead by 200 meters. However, Dos Santos used the final turn to close the gap and draw even with Warholm on the homestretch. The Norwegian faltered slightly over the final 100 meters, clipping the tenth hurdle, which allowed Dos Santos to edge him out for the win in a world-leading time of 46.63 seconds. Warholm finished close behind in 46.70 seconds.

Kyron McMaster, the 2023 world championship silver medalist, took third place in 48.49 seconds. American CJ Allen finished in seventh with a time of 49.42 seconds.

World Bronze Medalist Rushell Clayton won the women's 400 in a slow winning time of 54.02. It was Jamaican Andrenette Knight who brought the field out to a hot start, but was passed by Clayton on hurdle five who never gave up the lead. The Jamaicans swept the top three spots. They will have to bring their A-game to try and have a chance to compete with Femke Bol and the Americans in Paris.

Always the Bridesmaid, never the Bride. Not so much anymore for American K.C Lightfoot. Being the only man to clear 5.82 m was good enough to beat countryman Christopher Nilsen and Sam Kendricks, who are ranked third and fourth respectively in the world.

In a race that was strung out from the gun as the pacer went far in front of the pace lights, Prudence Sekgodiso ran 1:58.66 for the win.  Finnish athlete Eveliina Määttänen was first behind the pacer who took the field out in 56.19. Prudence Sekgodiso took the lead at 400 to go and never looked back, Ethiopian Tsige Duguma tried to go with her but was not able to hang for long. Sekgodiso hit 600 in 1:26.8 and had about 30 m of daylight with 150 to go, faded the final home straight but was still able to hold off Jamaican Natoya Goule-Toppin.

In a race that included defending Olympic champion, Marcell Jacobs and 9.69-man Yohan Blake, it was neither winning the competition in Oslo, instead it was Akini Simbine claiming the victory in 9.94 seconds. Jacobs got out well, alongside Simbine but was ultimately bested in the final thirty meters, he would run 10.03 seconds good for third place. Abdul Hakim Sani Brown of Japan finished in second place, running 9.99 seconds. 

American Brandon Hinklin finished in fifth place, running 10.05 seconds.

It was going to be hard to top last year's Oslo 5k where Yomif Kejelcha and Jacob Kiplimo both ran 12:41, but this year's race was even faster -- both Kejelcha and Kiplimo ran pbs and neither was close to the win in the end as Hagos Gebrhiwet ran 12:36.73 to break Kenenisa Bekele's Ethiopian record and move to #2 on the all-time list. Kejelcha, who ran 12:38.95 today, is now #4, one spot ahead of Haile Gebrselassie.

In all, 12 of the top 13 set pbs (everyone except the WR holder Cheptegei) and the 13 men sub-13:00 ties 2023 Florence DL for the most ever in one race.

As fast that women's 3k was, this men's 5k could be special.

Meet has already produced a European record and Aussie record, I predict we get at least a Guatemalan record here.

Green lights is set for MR of 12:41.73... That is the goal and what the main lights are set for. 2nd set of lights (red) is for 13:05.

It was American Brittany Brown who surged to a surprise victory on the outside in lane eight in 22.32. It was Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith who got out to a blazing hot start in lane seven, as they rounded the bend it was the Brit world silver medalist Daryll Neita who took the lead in the middle of the track. It looked like a two women race until Brittany Brown had a strong last 50 to power past the pair and take the victory. Olympic champion Shericka Jackson was a concerning 5th place.

Matthew Hudson-Smith, last year’s world championship silver medalist ran away from a field that included the likes of Kirani James over the final 150 meters. Hudson-Smith would cross the line in 44.07, a new European record and personal best. Kirani James finished in second (44.58) and Vernon Norwood in third (44.68) 

We thought an Aussie might win the women's 3000, and for a while it looked as if it would be Jess Hull, who just set an Aussie record in the 1500 at Pre on Saturday. But that quick turnaround may have proved too much for her.

Instead, it was Georgia Griffith who used a big kick to win in an Aussie record of 8:24.20, going from 6th to 1st in the final lap.

7 women hit the bell together and Hull quickly went to the lead. Midway through the final turn, it was a three woman race. With 100 meters to go, Griffith, who was the runner-up at the Aussie champs behind Hull in the 1500,  took the lead and ended up winning with a huge 13 second PB.

The race was totally devoid of the top African talent and second place went to unheralded Likina Amebawa of Ethiopia. The 26-year-old, who ran 14:44 in Morocco (and 29:56 on the roads in Paris), was second in 8:24.29 with Hull third in 8:25.82. 11 of the top 12 women PRd.

In a race that included all three of last year's World Championship medallists, world champ Marileidy Paulino owned the last 100 and won in an outdoor world-leading time of 49.30 as Natalie Kacczmarek was second in 49.80. Paulino is undefeated in 2024, but this was her first time under 50.