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≡ OSLO DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
The sixth stop on the 2026 Diamond League circuit was the 61st annual Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, a brilliant meet with world leads in four events:
● Men/800 m: 1:42.08, Cooper Lutkenhaus (USA)
● Men/Mile: 3:48.21, Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) and Yared Nuguse (USA)
● Men/5,000 m: 12:47.62, Addisu Yihune (ETH)
● Women/3,000 m: 8:24.22, Freweyni Hailu (ETH)
Lutkenhaus beat 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN) in Stockholm last Sunday and now faced Olympic and World Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN). And Wanyonyi took the lead from the pacer at the bell, as he often does. But Lutkenhaus, 17, was right with him and took the lead with 200 m left, had 4/10ths into the straight, but Wanyonyi closed hard with Lutkenhaus getting the win with a final dive in a sensational 1:42.08, moving him to no. 14 all-time and no. 3 all-time U.S. Wanyonyi was an inch back in second (1:42.09), with Arop a distant third in 1:43.33.
The “Dream Mile” saw World 1,500 m champ Isaac Nader (POR) with the lead into the final turn and onto the straight, but he was passed by Kenya’s Cheriuyot on the inside and Nuguse on the outside and those two dueled to the finish, with Cheruiyot getting the nod with a lean at the line. Australia’s Cam Myers came up for third in 3:48.35 and American Hobbs Kessler got fourth in 3:49.13, as Nader faded to 12th.
The 5,000 m was another last-lap decider, as multiple contenders faded and Yihune ran away from Bahrain’s two-time Asian Games winner Birhanu Balew, 12:47.62 to 12:47.73 in the final 40 m. Coming hard behind them was Sweden’s Andreas Almgren in 12:48.61, then Americans Parker Wolfe (12:49.45 lifetime best), Grant Fisher (12:49.61) and Graham Blanks (12:49.99).
Hailu led an Ethiopian sweep in the women’s 3, winning over Likina Amebaw, 8:24.22 to 8:25.15 on the final straight, with Senayet Getachew third (8:25.85).
The U.S. got an impressive win from World Indoor women’s shot champ Chase Jackson, who really wanted a big throw and got it in the first round at 20.74 m (68-0 1/2), the no. 6 throw in U.S. history. That was enough to take down world leader Jessica Schilder (NED), who reached 20.11 m (65-11 3/4).
There was great anticipation in the men’s 200 m with the Diamond League debut of Australian teen – and world leader – Gout Gout, but he was no match for Paris Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT), in his race of the season so far in 19.84 (wind: +0.2). South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile was second in 20.12 with Gout sixth in 20.60.
The Norwegian crowd was ready to explode for home hero Karsten Warholm in the men’s 400 m hurdles, but as he was even with 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA) over the eighth hurdles, dos Santos ran away and won, 46.89 to 47.40. American Caleb Dean was third (48.22).
Australia’s Kurtis Marschall won his second straight Diamond League meet in the men’s vault, clearing 5.82 m (19-1). Americans Sam Kendricks and Zach Bradford went 3-4, both at 5.72 m (18-9 1/4). World Indoor silver winner Jordan Scott (JAM) won the triple jump at 17.66 mw (57-11 1/4w: +2.6), ahead of World Indoor Champion Andy Diaz (ITA: 17.59 m/57-8 1/2).
Olympic women’s 100 champ Julien Alfred (LCA) ran away with her race in the last half, crossing in a wind-aided 10.76 (+3.2) head of Britain’s Amy Hunt (10.97).
Norway got a win in the women’s 400 m from Henriette Jaeger, who extended her lead down the final straight in a seasonal best of 49.52. World 400 m hurdles leader Emma Zapletalova (SVK) won her third straight Diamond League meet in 53.13 over Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton (53.50) and Jasmine Jones of the U.S. (54.09).
Cuba’s Davisleidis Velazco won the women’s triple jump at 14.85 m wind-aided (48-8 3/4 +2.3 m/s), but also would have won with her second-best – legal – jump of 14.76 m (48-5 1/4).
Next up is the rescheduled Diamond League in Doha (QAT), moved due to the Middle East conflicts, now slated for 19 June (so far).
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