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Oslo Diamond League Preview: Top Athletes And Storylines To Watch

By Citius Mag Staff

June 14, 2023

If there’s any meet that can match the excitement of last weekend’s Paris Diamond, it’s tomorrow’s Bislett Games held in Oslo, Norway. I’m not suggesting that another three world records are about to go down but with fields stacked with Olympic champions and athletes who already hold world records, this meet is going to be strong.

You can find all the information on how to follow and watch the meet here.

Here are a few key events and athletes to follow:

Must-Watch Event: LOADED Men’s 1500m

Not to be dramatic, but my jaw dropped when I first saw the start list for the men’s 1500m. Olympic medalists, World Championship medalists, and world record holders all battling it out in the same race. The top nine men entered all hold personal bests of 3:30 or faster. It feels weird to note that Yared Nuguse is No. 15 on the entries.

Aside from Jakob Ingebrigtsen (more on him in a second), we’ll see all three Olympic medalists including Timothy Cheruiyot and Josh Kerr. As well as eight of last year’s World Championship finalists including bronze medalist Mohamed Katir and fourth place finisher Mario Garcia Romo. This could also be a golden opportunity for someone like Nuguse or Ollie Hoare to dip under 3:30 for the first time.

Ingebrigtsen is clearly the favorite. After winning last year’s Oslo Diamond League mile in 3:49.76, they made this year’s race into a 1500m with some rumors that he planned to attack the world record. We’ll see what the race ends up being paced for but he’s made it no secret that he’s got his target on that 3:26.00 mark by Hicham El Guerrouj. What we learned from the Rabat men’s 1500m is that Ingebrigtsen is prepared to win in any fashion. The rest of the field is continuing to test tactics ahead of the World Championships to try and close the gap on him.

Must-Watch Athlete: Karsten Warholm Opens Up His Season

Sticking with the Norwegian theme, 400m hurdles world record holder Karsten Warholm will make his outdoor debut this weekend. He is looking to put a difficult 2022 behind him. Warholm was injured for much of last year and finished seventh at the World Championships, which snapped a 22-race winning streak for him. He’ll face tough competition in Oslo, which includes world bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt. Fellow American CJ Allen is riding a hot streak and has run 47.91 on the season, which is the second-fastest time of the year behind Rai Benjamin’s 47.74 from Mt. SAC on April 15.

Must-Watch Storyline: Can Femke Bol Establish Herself As The Gold Medal Favorite?

Femke Bol kicked off her season at the Florence Diamond League by clocking a world lead in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.43. Earlier this year, she broke a 41 year old world record in the indoor 400m by running 49.26. What I think makes this race most exciting is that Bol’s season best is two seconds faster than anyone else in the field. We still don’t know if Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will run the 400m hurdles at the World Championships but Bol can continue to stamp herself as the potential gold medal favorite with another strong performance – if McLaughlin-Levrone opts to pass on the 400m hurdles.

We will have David McCarthy, Johnny Pace and Alex Andrei on-site at Bislett Stadium to bring you interviews, photos and more. Follow all the action along with us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for exclusive CITIUS MAG content and commentary.

Citius Mag Staff