OSLO, NORWAY, June 12 — The pre-meet hype for the 60th edition of the Bislett Games centered around a pair of potential men’s World Records, in the rarely run 300H, and the 5000. Only one delivered, but both provided thrilling races.
WA only elevated the 300H to official status this year, so the WR chase wasn’t nearly as anticipated as the rare regular season duel between the three titans of the intermediate hurdles: ’24 Olympic champ Rai Benjamin, ’21 gold medalist Karsten Warholm and ’22 world champion Alison dos Santos. (The trio are also set to square off again a few days later in Stockholm over the full 400H distance.)
Warholm has shown a particular liking for the 300H, setting his most recent WR on April 26, clocking 33.05 at the Xiamen Diamond League. And at Bislett Stadium, in front of a heavily partisan crowd, the Norwegian was looking to reestablish himself as the king of the event.
The race closed out the evening’s program on a spectacularly bright Scandinavian evening. Warholm, in his preferred lane 7, tore down the backstretch but Benjamin, in 5, was running even before storming around the curve to take the lead. Down the homestretch Benjamin began to slow, and after clipping the seventh (and final) hurdle he lost momentum. Warholm, meanwhile, was still in full flight, and surged ahead to cross the line in 32.67.
Benjamin held off dos Santos for 2nd, 33.22–33.38.
“The race went well although I was rather worried with how much Rai was closing on me, but I knew I could push on over the last hurdle to home,” Warholm said. “I usually fade at the end of the 400, so the 300 suits me to some degree, but I will be back strong in the 400 on Sunday.”
Benjamin was gracious in defeat. “I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I’m fairly pleased with how I performed,” said the American, who was opening his ’25 outdoor campaign after racing just once indoors. “This here in Oslo was such a great opportunity and I’m glad they set that race up for us. It was special having the three of us face-off tonight, it’s good for the sport and also for our development. I thought I would run better tonight but I hit the last hurdle so that cost me.”
In the 5000, the pace lights were set to match 12:35.36, the WR set by Joshua Cheptegei in ’20. The early tempo was solid (2:33.04 at 1000 and 5:07.31 at 2000), but it was clear that a record was unlikely. Instead, the race developed into a dramatic battle. Brit George Mills moved to the front at 4000, dropping in sub-60 laps with Ethiopians Biniam Mehary and Kuma Girma and American Nico Young right on his tail.
The 22-year-old Young, using the same late-race surge that clinched the win in the Philadelphia Grand Slam 3000 on June 01, took the lead on final curve and sprinted home clear of Mehary for the win, the third ever by an American in the 5000 in a DL meet following Ben True (New York, ’15) and Paul Chelimo (London, ’18).
Young’s time of 12:45.27, makes him history’s 13th-fastest and puts him No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list (and the quickest ever by an American outdoors).
“It was a crazy race,” said Young, who finished 12th in the Olympic 10,000 last summer. “This surprised me a little bit but I am really proud that I managed to stay on this pace all this time. Coming into the race, I was not 100% sure what I was going to do. There were so many scenarios of what could have happened.”
Behind him, Mehary (12:45.93), Girma (12:46.41) and Mills (12:46.59) were all rewarded with PRs, while Mills smashed Mo Farah’s British Record of 12:53.11 from ’11. Graham Blanks, who was at the back of the pack in the early going, moved up well in the late stages and finished 7th in 12:48.20, making him the No. 3 American all-time.
After a fast start in the 800, Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi looked to be fading down the homestretch, but he rallied to win in 1:42.78. He held off Mohamed Attaoui (1:42.90) and Paris bronze medalist Djamel Sedjati (1:43.06), who was racing for the first time since September.
Portugal’s Isaac Nader was the surprise winner of the Dream Mile, moving to the front with half a lap to go and pulling away from the field in the final straightaway, setting a Portuguese Record 3:48.25.
“I am very happy to win so easily, it was a great race and the goal was the national record. That was the aim tonight so job done,” said Nader, who finished 4th in the 1500 at the World Indoor in March. “I have confidence that I can perform in Tokyo and I am very excited for the season ahead, this is only the beginning for me.”
Aussie teen Cam Myers closed well on the inside to grab 2nd in 3:48.87 as 11 men broke 3:50. Among them was Vince Ciattei, 8th in 3:49.37, which makes him the 12th-fastest American of all time.
Mondo Duplantis clinched the vault at 19-5 (5.92), then went on to break the meet record twice, first at 19-9 ¼ (6.03), then at 20-2 (6.15).
“To get a stadium record here was in my plans after a few visits here with difficult conditions. It was great to finally get the right conditions tonight,” said the Swede, who was hoping to add yet another WR to his résumé. “It did get cooler so that was why I stopped jumping.”
The triple jump was won by Jordan Scott, who leapt a PR 56-10 ¾ (17.34) on his first attempt. Pedro Pichardo took 2nd at 55-11 ¾ (17.06).
In the 200, Reynier Mena blasted the curve and held his lead all the way to the finish. The Cuban sprinted in comfortably ahead of Timothé Mumenthaler, 20.20 –20.27, with ’21 Olympic champ Andre de Grasse (20.33) 3rd.
In a mini multi-event triathlon, Olympic decathlon champ Markus Rooth topped the field after long jumping 25-2 (7.67) and setting PRs in the 110H (14.07) and javelin (222-9/67.89).
On the eve of the main program, Olympic champ Ethan Katzberg took the hammer lead in the third round with a 263-1 (80.19). Mykhaylo Kokhan flirted with the 80-meter barrier in the final frame but came up just short at 262-3 (79.95).
OSLO DL MEN’S RESULTS
200(1.5): 1. Reynier Mena (Cub) 20.20; 2. Timothé Mumenthaler (Swi) 20.27 PR; 3. Andre De Grasse (Can) 20.33; 4. Joe Fahnbulleh (Lbr) 20.44; 5. Filippo Tortu (Ita) 20.53; 6. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.65; 7. Vernon Norwood (US) 20.67; 8. Kyree King (US) 20.79.
800: 1. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:42.78; 2. Mohamed Attaoui (Spa) 1:42.90; 3. Djamel Sedjati (Alg) 1:43.06; 4. Gabriel Tual (Fra) 1:43.09; 5. Kethobogile Haingura (Bot) 1:43.58 PR; 6. Andreas Kramer (Swe) 1:43.73;… rabbit—Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) (49.79).
Mile: 1. Isaac Nader (Por) 3:48.25 NR (3:34.14);
2. Cam Myers (Aus) 3:48.87 PR (x, 3 WJ) (3:34.91);
3. Stefan Nillessen (Neth) 3:49.02 PR (3:34.87); 4. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:49.06 PR (3:34.49); 5. Robert Farken (Ger) 3:49.12 NR (3:34.52); 6. Anass Essayi (Mor) 3:49.16 PR (3:34.69); 7. Elliot Giles (GB) 3:49.16 PR (3:34.38); 8. Vincent Ciattei (US) 3:49.37 PR (3:34.72); 9. Samuel Pihlström (Swe) 3:49.70 NR; 10. Federico Riva (Ita) 3:49.72 NR; 11. Narve Gilje Nordås (Nor) 3:49.91; 12. Ruben Verheyden (Bel) 3:50.67 NR; 13. Olli Hoare (Aus) 3:50.92;… rabbits—Zan Rudolf (Slo) (55.73, [1:53.10]); Boaz Kiprugut (Ken) (2:52.51).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 12–13)
5000: 1. Nico Young (US) 12:45.27 (AL, out WL) (2, 2 A—ratifiable as AR by USATF);
2. Biniam Mehary (Eth) 12:45.93 PR (2, 2 WJ);
3. Kuma Girma (Eth) 12:46.41 PR; 4. George Mills (GB) 12:46.59 NR (10:20.28); 5. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 12:46.82; 6. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spa) 12:47.67 PR;
7. Graham Blanks (US) 12:48.20 PR (3, 4 A);
8. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 12:49.07 (7:42.09); 9. Mezgebu Sime (Eth) 12:49.80 PR; 10. Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (Swi) 12:50.87 NR; 11. Jacob Krop (Ken) 12:51.16; 12. Birhanu Balew (Bhr) 12:56.45; 13. Cooper Teare (US) 12:57.05; 14. Nicholas Kipkorir (Ken) 13:06.92;… rabbit—Max Thorwirth (Ger) 2:33.04, 5:07.31.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 6–13)
300H: 1. Karsten Warholm (Nor) 32.67 “WR” (old best 33.05 Warholm ’25);
2. Rai Benjamin (US) 33.22 AR; 3. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 33.38 NR; 4. Abderrahmane Samba (Qat) 33.84 NR; 5. Matheus Lima (Bra) 34.34; 6. Emil Nana Kwame Agyekum (Ger) 34.58 NR; 7. Trevor Bassitt (US) 34.65 PR.
Field Events
PV: 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 20-2 (6.15) (out WL) (18-5¼, 19-1, 19-5, 19-9¼ [3], 20-2 [2]) (5.62, 5.82, 5.92, 6.03 [3], 6.15 [2]);
2. Emmanouíl Karalís (Gre) 19-1 (5.82); 3. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 18-9¼ (5.72); 4. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 18-9¼; 5. tie, Menno Vloon (Neth) & Sam Kendricks (US) 18-5¼ (5.62); 7. Ersu Şaşma (Tur) 18-5¼; 8. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 17-8½ (5.40);… nh—EJ Obiena (Phi).
TJ: 1. Jordan Scott (Jam) 56-10¾ (17.34) PR; 2. Pedro Pichardo (Por) 55-11¾ (17.06); 3. Max Heß (Ger) 55-7¾w (16.96); 4. Lázaro Martínez (Cub) 55-5¾ (16.91); 5. Yasser Triki (Alg) 54-10¾ (16.73); 6. Ethan Olivier (NZ) 54-9½ (16.70); 7. Hugues Fabrice Zango (Bur) 54-4w (16.56); 8. Russell Robinson (US) 54-1¾ (16.50).
Non-DL HT: 1. Ethan Katzberg (Can) 263-1 (80.19); 2. Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukr) 262-3 (79.95); 3. Thomas Mardal (Nor) 256-8 (78.25) PR; 4. Paweł Fajdek (Pol) 256-3 (78.12); 5. Bence Halász (Hun) 254-8 (77.62); 6. Eivind Henriksen (Nor) 246-1 (75.01); 7. Wojciech Nowicki (Pol) 238-4 (72.65).
Tri(110H, LJ, JT): 1. Markus Rooth (Nor) 2799 PR (14.07, 7.67, 67.89); 2. Hans-Christian Hausenberg (Est) 2685 PR; 3. Simon Ehammer (Swi) 2677 PR; 4. Heath Baldwin (US) 2665 PR; 5. Johannes Erm (Est) 2423 PR;… dnf—Sander Aae Skotheim (Nor).
