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≡ MORE OSLO DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
“It was a very tough race and I had to dive for the line to be sure of the win. I knew he was on my shoulder and I was willing the line to come towards me.
“To beat the Olympic champion is awesome and it means a lot. I have not seen the grazes yet from my dive but I think they will hurt in the shower later.”
That’s 17-year-old American wunderkind Cooper Lutkenhaus, who won his second Diamond League 800 m in four days in Oslo’s Bislett Stadium on Wednesday, barely holding on against Olympic and World Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) in the final meters and then diving across the line to win in a world-leading 1:42.08 to 1:42.09.
Wanyonyi, himself just 21, said afterwards:
“This boy is in a good shape. Can you believe that as an Olympic champion, you are trying to knock down a 17-year-old boy? I started the race in front and after 600 meters to go, I tried to see who is coming to push me.
“Then I saw him passing me so then I tried to respond. But my target today was to run my season best, to improve. The season is still early. Actually, I feel so happy to run; my daughter [Noela] is watching me.”
As for Lutkenhaus:
“Pre is next for me and I am very excited for that. I could take a few days off after this but I will probably be running tomorrow. I have managed to have a look at Oslo while I have been here and it is a lovely city; I hope to explore some more this evening and tomorrow.”
That wasn’t the only spectacular finish, as Kenya’s 2019 World 1,500 m champ Timothy Cheruiyot won the men’s “Dream Mile” in a world-leading 3:48.21, with the same time given to American Yared Nuguse. Nuguse said later:
“It was certainly a tight finish and I thought I had been given the win but then it changed to second place on one-hundredth of a second. There were some big names in there tonight so I was very pleased with my performance and how I pushed right to the tape. It was a great race to be part of.”
There was a lot of interest in the men’s 200 m and the Diamond League debut of Australian teen Gout Gout (18), the world leader at 1967 in April. But he was not a factor as Paris 200 m champion Letsile Tebogo (BOT) had his best race of the season, winning in 19.84. Gout was sixth in 20.60 and Tebogo said afterwards he was worried about him:
“After the race, I wanted to talk to Gout Gout but he is so busy with all the media. First and foremost, he should not get comfortable racing with the seniors. He still has a long way to go.
“He should by all means play with his age mates where he is a bit more comfortable because the more he runs, the more he pushes and the more injuries he is going to get. I hope his management, the coaches and everybody around him will advise that because that is what worked for me. I have seen a lot of people my age racing with seniors and then it did not go well for them.”
One of the happiest winners in Oslo was American women’s shot star Chase Jackson, who launched a seasonal best of 20.74 m (68-0 1/2) in the first round and won easily:
“I was chuffed [pleased] to be able to take Valerie Adams’ [NZL] name off [the meet record] as she is the person we all look up to in the sport, so it is kind of surreal. It was not so much that Jessica [Schilder/NED] won in Stockholm but it is about the numbers. I really wanted to get over 21 [m] as I know I have that from training.
“I have been searching for the number as she did it first [this season]. I opened big today which was great and just as my coach told me to do but then I slightly lost the plot. I probably got too excited after that first throw. I need to focus on my technique and I know I can do it.
“The Europeans here have the advantage of their time zone; this is the first time I have had sleep since I have been here so I think back in the States, I will crack it. The nationals and Pre on home soil is where the big numbers will come.”
Jackson is the American record holder at 20.95 m (68-8 3/4) from 2025.
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