The Oslo Diamond League proved to be a dramatic showcase of talent and determination, witnessing Olympic champion Karsten Warholm’s stunning comeback, the emergence of a new fastest woman in 2023, the fastest teenage female mile in history, and the second-fastest time by an American man in 1500m history.
The Norwegian Home Advantage
The spotlight fell firmly on homegrown talent during the competition, with Norwegian Karsten Warholm leading the charge. The Olympic champion raced the fourth-fastest 400m hurdles in history in 46.52 seconds, a noteworthy achievement given that it was his first race in the event in nine months.
Warholm, the world record holder at 45.94 seconds, had previously finished seventh at last year’s world championships after suffering a hamstring injury just a month and a half before. His spectacular comeback has catapulted him into a favourite position for the World Championships in Budapest this August.
Fellow Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen added to the domestic triumph. Fresh off breaking the two-mile world record, Ingebrigtsen broke his own European 1500m record, registering a time of 3:27.95. This impressive feat places him as the sixth-fastest man in history, raising expectations for his performance at the World Championships.
New Champions Emerge, Past Heroes Return
New champions emerged on the global stage as records were broken. Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast stole the show by winning the 100m in a record-breaking time of 10.75 seconds. This result dethroned American Sha’Carri Richardson, making Ta Lou the fastest woman in the world this year by a hundredth of a second.
Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha and Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo competed in an exciting 5000m race. Both athletes set the fifth-fastest time in history, with Kejelcha taking the win in a photo finish.
The men’s races featured the comeback of former champions as well as the rise of newcomers. American sensation Erriyon Knighton, still basking in his 2022 World Championship bronze, raced to victory in the 200m with a time of 19.77 seconds. Meanwhile, South African Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk completed a victorious return, clinching first place in the 400m against a highly competitive field after a lengthy recovery from his 2017 ACL and meniscus injury.
Records Tumble and Athletes to Watch
The Oslo Diamond League became a hotbed for record-breaking performances. The standout among these was 17-year-old Ethiopian Birke Haylom, who became the fastest teenage female miler in history with a record-shattering time of 4:17.13.
Femke Bol of the Netherlands joined the list of record-breakers this year, with the world’s best time in the 400m hurdles at 52.30 seconds. Bol’s performance propels her into the top tier of racers in the discipline, joining American record-setters Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Dalilah Muhammad.
The action-packed event in Oslo has set the stage for an equally thrilling World Championships in Budapest and has given track and field fans much to look forward to. The Diamond League now moves to its next leg on June 30 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where the momentum from Oslo is likely to continue.
