OSLO, NORWAY, July 01 — Making it a week for 400 hurdles World Records just 4 days after Sydney McLaughlin’s at the U.S. Olympic Trials, Karsten Warholm took down the oldest men’s track standard on the books.
Running before a COVID-restricted but adoring home crowd of about 5000 at the 56th Bislett Games, the 25-year-old Norwegian emphatically responded to Rai Benjamin’s superb No. 2 all-time 46.83 marker laid down 5 days earlier, bouncing the American’s new PR to No. 3 on the ATL as he stopped the clock at 46.70.
The time snipped 0.08 from the previous record, Kevin Young’s 46.78 set in winning at the Barcelona Olympics 2 months short of 29 years ago.
It also made Alison dos Santos’s swift 47.38 Brazilian Record in 2nd look almost unremarkable by comparison.
Said 2019 Men’s Athlete Of The Year Warholm, “I knew that I had a fast time in my body. It feels like it has been there for a long time but you never know when it is right to do it. And it is one thing to know you have it in you and another to go out and do it.”
Lined up in his customarily preferred lane 7, Warholm roared playfully for the fans and thumped his chest during introductions before the 9:51 p.m. start. Grey sky above him was darkening to dusk but the temperature was 72 (22C) and favorable for a speedy circuit.
The world champion likes to attack from the gun and did here, firing through his 20 steps to the first hurdle so effectively he had mostly erased the stagger to Ludvy Vaillant on his outside by the time he got there. Pattering out well-regulated 13-stride tattoos between barriers, Warholm touched down from hurdle 5, his mission about halfway complete, in 20.3.
Leading with his left leg all the way, his facial expression one of concentration, not strain, he poured it on into the homestretch with no knowledge or concern dos Santos (lane 6) had closed his margin to about 4m at hurdle 9.
Warholm geared down to 15 strides for the 10th hurdle, approaching perhaps a snicket closer than optimal before jumping it followed by 18 digging-deep steps to the line.
Dos Santos, it must be said, rather flowed more than wilted on his own passage through the run-in.
Spreading his arms wide after the finish, sure he had bagged the record, Warholm essayed his familiar hands-over-face reaction, dropped to his knees and then clasped arms with congratulating dos Santos. In the stands smiles, a flurry of Norwegian flag-waving and a standing O all around.
“It is very special to do it here in Bislett in front of a great crowd including my friends and family,” he said. “This is my first 400-meter hurdles of the season so I really think there is more in the tank.”
A tiger in the tank might come in handy for Warholm’s Olympic summit meeting with Rai Benjamin in Tokyo 5 weeks from now. Their event is one of the most enthusiastically anticipated of the Games.
“It might take another World Record to win the Olympics,” he admitted. “There are such a lot of great guys out there at the moment who will all be aiming to do it and win gold. I am happy that there is such great competition.
“But I now have the World Record and I am so happy!”
Kevin Young’s personal congratulations arrived nearly as quickly as the record. The American teleported in smiling on a video call to convey his fond respect and admiration for Warholm’s feat.
In the men’s vault, Mondo Duplantis added a seventh meet over 6m (19-8¼) to his ’21 card. While Sam Kendricks hit a ceiling at 19-4¾ (5.91), his highest clearance this year, Duplantis went clean through 19-8½ (6.01) before taking three shots, none of them particularly close, at a WR 20-3¾ (6.19).
Yomif Kejelcha flowed away from a strong 3000 field to win by 3.68 from Kenyan Jacob Krop in 7:26.25, a ’21 outdoor leader.
The Bislett Games’ signature Dream Mile was one of the best of its kind in years. With the pace hot throughout, Stewart McSweyn outstrengthed the field over the final 600 to prevail in an Aussie Record 3:48.37. With Marcin Lewandowski 2nd in a Polish NR 3:49.11, four bettered 3:50 and the first 8 got PRs. It was the fastest, albeit pace-lit, outdoor mile since the ’14 Pre meet.
Just 7th, though she looked sharp, in the Olympic Trials 800, Kate Grace found some redemption with an emphatic victory here. Fourth among the competitors after the rabbit passed 400 in 57.14, the American rushed up the backstretch and into the lead on the last turn to win in a PR 1:57.60 from world champion Halimah Nakaayi’s 1:58.70. Grace’s time moved her to No. 9 all-time among Americans.
The women’s 400 hurdles showed quality as well, from the Netherlands’ Femke Bol, who ran superbly in lowering her PR by 0.11 to 53.33.
OSLO DIAMOND LEAGUE RESULTS
200(-1.0): 1. Andre De Grasse (Can) 20.09; 2. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.38; 3. Isaac Makwala (Bot) 20.61; 4. Eseosa Desalu (Ita) 20.71; 5. Vernon Norwood (US) 20.74; 6. Mouhamadou Fall (Fra) 20.92; 7. Alex Wilson (Swi) 20.98.
Mile: 1. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:48.37 NR (WL) (fastest outdoor mile since 5/31/14) (2:50.78, 3:32.92);
2. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 3:49.11 NR (3:34.27); 3. Jye Edwards (Aus) 3:49.27 PR (3:33.67); 4. Charles Simotwo (Ken) 3:49.40 PR (3:33.85); 5. Ismael Debjani (Bel) 3:52.70 PR (3:38.27); 6. Ronald Musagala (Uga) 3:53.04 NR (3:37.03); 7. Adam Ali Musab (Qat) 3:53.15 PR (3:36.59); 8. Ferdinand Kvan Edman (Nor) 3:53.42 PR (3:37.98 PR); 9. Charlie Da’Vall Grice (GB) 3:54.97 (3:36.25); 10. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:59.82 PR (3:42.43);… rabbit—Mounir Akbache (Fra) (56.49, 56.79 [1:53.28]).
3000: 1. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 7:26.25 PR (out WL) (5:02.37);
2. Jacob Krop (Ken) 7:30.07 PR; 3. Nicholas Kimeli (Ken) 7:31.33 PR; 4. Birhanu Yemataw (Bhr) 7:33.05 PR; 5. Filip Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 7:34.00 PR; 6. Justus Soget (Ken) 7:35.91 PR; 7. Tadese Worku (Eth) 7:37.48 PR; 8. David McNeill (Aus) 7:39.43 PR; 9. Michael Kibet (Ken) 7:43.46; 10. Kieran Lumb (Can) 7:46.28 PR; 11. Bethwel Birgen (Ken) 7:46.84; 12. Zerei Kbrom (Nor) 7:47.16 PR;… rabbit—Vincent Kibet (Ken) (2:32.04).
400H: 1. Karsten Warholm (Nor) 46.70 WR (old WR 46.78 Kevin Young [US] ’92);
2. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 47.38 NR (=14, x W); 3. Yasmani Copello (Tur) 48.86; 4. Rasmus Mägi (Est) 48.95; 5. Constantin Preis (Ger) 49.79; 6. Ramsey Angela (Neth) 49.81;… dnf—Ludvy Vaillant (Fra), Thomas Barr (Ire).
Field Events
PV: 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-8½ (6.01) (18-4¾, 19-¾, 19-4¾, 19-8½, 20-3¾ [xxx]) (5.61, 5.81, 5.91, 6.01, 6.19 [xxx]); 2. Sam Kendricks (US) 19-4¾ (5.91) (18-1, 18-4¾, 18-8¾ [3], 19-¾, 19-4¾ [3], 19-8½ [xxx]) (5.51, 5.61, 5.71 [3], 5.81, 5.91 [3], 6.01 [xxx]); 3. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 19-¾ (5.81); 4. Valentin Lavillenie (Fra) 18-8¾ (5.71); 5. Simen Guttormsen (Nor) 18-4¾ (5.61) PR; 6. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 18-1 (5.51); 7. Pål Haugen Lillefosse (Nor) 17-5 (5.31);… nh—Cole Walsh (US), Melker Svärd Jacobsson (Swe).
TJ: 1. Yasser Triki (Alg) 56-6¾ (17.24) (56-6¾, 55-9¼, p, 54-11½, p, 56-6½) (17.24, 17.00, p, 16.75, p, 17.23); 2. Andy Díaz (Cub) 55-¾ (16.78); 3. Tiago Pereira (Por) 54-7¼ (16.64); 4. Pablo Torrijos (Spa) 54-1¾ (16.50); 5. Max Heß (Ger) 53-11¾ (16.45); 6. Donald Scott (US) 52-2¾ (15.92).
DT: 1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 225-2 (68.65) (220-8, 214-11, 219-8, 220-4, 225-2, 215-7) (67.26, 65.52, 66.95, 67.17, 68.65, 65.72); 2. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 218-9 (66.68) (208-3, f, 216-7, 218-9, 217-4, 215-7) (63.48, f, 66.01, 66.68, 66.25, 65.72); 3. Lukas Weißhaidinger (Aut) 215-5 (65.67); 4. Andrius Gudžius (Lit) 215-1 (65.57); 5. Simon Pettersson (Swe) 212-0 (64.62); 6. Fedrick Dacres (Jam) 205-4 (62.60); 7. Alin Alexandru Firfirica (Rom) 202-4 (61.67); 8. Ola Stunes Isene (Nor) 199-6 (60.80).
OSLO DL WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(-0.3): 1. Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CI) 10.91; 2. Daryll Neita (GB) 11.06; 3. Ajla Del Ponte (Swi) 11.16; 4. Javianne Oliver (US) 11.18; 5. Hana Basic (Aus) 11.42; 6. Jamile Samuel (Neth) 11.50; 7. Tianna Bartoletta (US) 11.51.
800: 1. Kate Grace (US) 1:57.60 PR (9, x A);
2. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:58.70; 3. Lore Hoffmann (Swi) 1:59.06; 4. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 1:59.30; 5. Lovisa Lindh (Swe) 1:59.81; 6. Katharina Trost (Ger) 2:00.02; 7. Adelle Tracey (GB) 2:00.82; 8. Hedda Hynne (Nor) 2:01.65;… rabbit—Aneta Lemiesz (Pol) (57.14).
5000: 1. Hellen Obiri (Ken) 14:26.38 (5:50.46, 8:45.87, 11:40.43); 2. Fantu Worku (Eth) 14:26.80 PR; 3. Margaret Kipkemboi (Ken) 14:28.24; 4. Eilish McColgan (GB) 14:28.55 NR; 5. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 14:34.55 PR; 6. Tsehay Gemechu (Eth) 14:38.76; 7. Yasemin Can (Tur) 14:46.13; 8. Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal (Nor) 14:47.67 PR; 9. Andrea Seccafien (Can) 15:10.00; 10. Sarah Lahti (Swe) 15:10.24 PR;… rabbit—Kate van Buskirk (Can) (2:55.50).
400H: 1. Femke Bol (Neth) 53.33 NR; 2. Anna Ryzhykova (Ukr) 54.15 PR; 3. Viktoriya Tkachuk (Ukr) 54.62; 4. Amalie Hammild Iuel (Nor) 55.04; 5. Leah Nugent (Jam) 55.37; 6. Léa Sprunger (Swi) 55.46; 7. Sage Watson (Can) 56.52.
Field Events
LJ: 1. Malaika Mihambo (Ger) 22-6¼ (6.86) (21-3½, 22-6¼, 21-10¾, p, 21-4¾, 22-5) (6.49, 6.86, 6.67, p, 6.52, 6.83); 2. Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova (Blr) 22-¾ (6.72); 3. Ivana Španović (Ser) 21-10¼ (6.66) (DL-protocol finish: Mihambo/Španović/Mironchyk-Ivanova); 4. Jazmin Sawyers (GB) 21-5½ (6.54); 5. Tilde Johansson (Swe) 21-3¼ (6.48); 6. Abigail Irozuru (GB) 20-10 (6.35); 7. Anasztázia Nguyen (Hun) 20-3½ (6.18);… nm—Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukr).
JT: 1. Maria Andrejczyk (Pol) 205-7 (62.67) (194-8, 204-11, 201-3, 194-8, 205-7, 198-0) (59.35, 62.46, 61.34, 59.34, 62.67, 60.35); 2. Christin Hussong (Ger) 205-5 (62.62) (199-5, 198-0, 205-5, 199-1, 198-3, 199-11) (60.78, 60.36, 62.62, 60.68, 60.44, 60.95; 3. Kelsey-Lee Barber (Aus) 199-8 (60.86) (DL-protocol finish: Hussong/Andrejczyk/Barber); 4. Barbora Špotáková (CzR) 198-1 (60.38); 5. Tatsiana Khaladovich (Blr) 194-10 (59.40); 6. Victoria Hudson (Aut) 194-8 (59.34); 7. Līna Mūze (Lat) 191-9 (58.44); 8. Marie-Therese Obst (Nor) 187-1 (57.02).