Oslo: Five Things To Look Out For

Warholm launches title defence

All eyes will be on Karsten Warholm at the climax of Thursday’s Bislett Games, as the Norwegian double world champion runs the 400m hurdles in front of his home crowd. As well as the inevitable hopes of a record, this will also be an important chance for the 25-year-old to make his first mark on this year’s Wanda Diamond League season. Yet to compete in 2021, the reigning Diamond League champion will be looking to get his title defence off to a winning start on home soil.

Ingebrigtsen in form

Another athlete who will have the full weight of the home crowd behind him is Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Unlike Warholm, Ingebrigtsen has already been lighting up the Wanda Diamond League circuit this year. After a 1500m victory in Gateshead on the opening day of the series, the 20-year-old stormed to a European 3000m record in Florence earlier in June. On Thursday, he will return to the middle distance in the Svein Arne Hansen mile, named this year in honour of the late former President of European Athletics. Yet there will at least be one Ingebrigtsen in the 3000m, as older brother Filip lines up against the likes of Yomif Kejelcha and Bethwell Birgen. 

Kenya v Ethiopia

While Kejelcha and Birgen do battle in the men’s long distance, the women’s 5000m will also see a clash between Kenyan and Ethiopian stars. Reigning world champion Hellen Obiri will be looking to boucne back from a disappointing fourth-place finish in Doha as she races alongside fellow Kenyans Beatrice Chebet and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi against Ethiopians Fantu Worku and Tsehay Gemechu. The African stars will also face stern competition from the likes of Turkey’s Yasemin Can, Britain’s Eilish McColgan and Norway’s own Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal.

Star-studded long jump

Three-time Diamond Trophy winner Ivana Spanovic got off to a winning start in Florence this year as she beat reigning champion Malaika Mihambo in the Final 3 of the women’s long jump. The two women go head to head again in Oslo, and will face the likes of Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers and Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who won the only long jump competition of last year’s truncated Wanda Diamond League season in Doha. 

Duplantis eyes first win

With a world record and an outdoor world best to his name, it is easy to forget that Mondo Duplantis is still yet to win many of the major international titles. The Diamond Trophy is one of many things on the 21-year-old’s title ticklist, and he will surely be hoping to get his hands on it for the first time this season. The Swede makes his second appearance of the season in Oslo, and will be out to pick up his first win after falling short to Sam Kendricks on a rainy night in Gateshead in May.