★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ BISLETT GAMES ≡
Quite a day in Oslo (NOR) for the famed Bislett Games, the latest stop on the Diamond League circuit and one with brilliant performances, including five world outdoor leaders … and a world record:
● Men/5,000 m: 12:45.27, Nico Young (USA) ~ American Record
● Men/300 m hurdles: 32.67, Karsten Warholm (NOR) ~ World Record
● Men/Vault: 6.15 m (20-2), Mondo Duplantis (SWE)
● Women/Steeple: 9:02.60, Faith Cherotich (KEN)
● Women/10,000 m: 30:28.82, Yenawa Kefale Nbret (ETH)
The men’s 5,000 m was billed at a world-record attempt, after Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) set the meet record in 2024 at 12:36.73, making him the no. 2 performer in history. Countryman Yomif Kejelcha, the two-time World Indoor 3,000 m champ, was in charge after the pacesetters left after 2,000 m, and he and Kuma Girma established a lead at 3,000 m in 7:42.09. Girma led four Ethiopians at the front at 3,600 m, with Biniam Mehary in second, then Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet.
Suddenly, Britain’s George Mills rolled up to the front by 4,000 m, with American Nico Young up to fourth by 4,400 m. Mills took the bell and he and Young were 1-2 with 200m left, with Young taking the lead around the final turn and Mehary into second onto the home straight. And Young finished the job with a breakthrough Diamond League stunner in an outdoor world-leading, American Record and lifetime best 12:45.27, ahead of Mehary (12:45.93 lifetime best), Girma (12:46.61 lifetime best), Mills (12:46.59 lifetime best and national record) and Gebrhiwet (12:46.82).
Young’s time moves to no. 12 on the all-time list and is an American Record outdoors, better than Grant Fisher’s 12:46.96 from 2022. Fisher ran a world indoor record 12:44.09 in February. By the way, Young is 22. Fellow Americans Graham Blanks finished seventh in a lifetime best 12:48,20, and Cooper Teare was 13th in 12:57.05.
The final event, the men’s 300 m hurdles, was a clear world-record attempt with the Paris Olympic podium back: gold winner Rai Benjamin of the U.S., home favorite Karsten Warholm – the world-record holder at 33.05 from the Xiamen Diamond League meet – and 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA) lined up lanes 5-6-7.
Benjamin was out well and led into the straight, but Warholm flew past on the run-in and sprinted to a world record 32.67, with Benjamin a clear second in 33.22, then dos Santos (33.38) and Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba, the 2019 Worlds bronze medalist, at 33.84. American Trevor Bassitt was seventh in 34.65.
In the men’s vault, only world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and Greece’s Olympic bronze winner Emmanouil Karalius able to clear 5.82 m (19-1), with Kurtis Marschall (AUS) and France’s 2012 Olympic winner Renaud Lavillenie getting over 5.72 m (18-9 1/4) to finish 3-4. Duplantis won at 5.92 m (19-5), as Karalis missed and then went to 6.03 m (19-9 1/4), clearing on his third try.
Duplantis then cleared 6.15 m (20-2) on his second try and thought about going for 6.22 m (20-4 3/4), but retired instead, with the world outdoor lead.
The first world lead of the meet came on Wednesday with the women’s 10,000 m, and a 30:28.82 win for Nbret, 18, who had only run the distance on the road, with a best of 30:38 from 2024. She finished clear of Kenyan Miriam Chebet (32:30.90) and Chaltu Dida (ETH: 30:33.86).
Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (BRN) and bronze winner Faith Cherotich (KEN) headlined the women’s Steeple, and Cerhotich had the lead over Yavi at 2,000 m. By the bell, those two and Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani were ahead of the field, and Yavi got up for the lead after the final water jump. But Cherotich was equal and steamed home to win in a world-leading 9:02.60 to 9:02.76, with Bouzayani third in 9:06.84.
Courtney Wayment of the U.S. was sixth in 9:13.65, with Gabi Jennings and Val Constien in 8-9 at 9:20.85 and 9:32.87. Olivia Markezich was 11th (9:36.92).
The rest of the meet was pretty good too:
Cuban star Reynier Mena surprised a good field in the men’s 200 m, leading around the turn and fighting off challenges from Tokyo Olympic winner Andre De Grasse and unexpected Swiss Timothe Memunthaler from lane eight, winning in 20.20 (+1.5 m/s), with Mumenthaler second in a lifetime best of 20.27, then de Grasse in 20.33. Americans Vernon Norwood and Kyree King were 7-8 in 20.67 and 20.79.
The men’s 800 m had three entries with bests in the 1:41s, and Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) settling behind the pacer, with the bell taken in a fast 49.79. Wanyonyi would not be denied and won from the front in 1:42.78, a seasonal best, ahead of Mohamed Attaoui (ESP: 1:42.90), who passed Olympic bronze winner Djamel Sedjati (ALG: 1:43.06) on the straight for second.
The pacesetters for the men’s mile led through splits of 55.7, 1:53.1 and 2:52.5, then it was a sprint, with Isaac Nader (POR) getting to the line in 3:48.25, a national record, ahead of Cam Myers (AUS: 3:48.87) and Stefan Nillessen (NED), who just edged 2019 World 1,500 m champ Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 3:49.02 to 3:49.06. American Vince Ciattei was eighth in 3:49.37.
Jamaica’s Jordan Scott, a Paris Olympian, ended the men’s triple jump in the first round, taking the lead at 17.34 m (56-10 3/4) and no one got close. Tokyo Olympic champ Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR) came closest at 17.06 m (55-11 3/4) in round two, but they were the only one to clear 17 m. American Russell Robinson was eighth at 16.50 m (54-1 3/4).
Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg (CAN) showed he’s still on top, winning Wednesday’s hammer throw at 80.19 m (263-1) from the third round, ahead of Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR: 79.95 m/262-3), who got close in the sixth round.
There was a lot of interest in the women’s 100 m, with Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA) running the distance for the first time in 2025. She did not disappoint, getting out well, and winning a convincing victory in 10.89 (+1.1), moving to no. 2 in the world in 2025. Olympic 100 finalist Marie-Josee La Tou-Smith was second by mid-race and stayed there in 11.00m a season’s best, with 2019 World 200 m champ Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) a clear third in 11.08.
World Indoor champ Amber Anning (GBR) had the early lead in the women’s 400 m, but Dutch star Lieke Klaver and Norway’s Henriette Jaeger took the lead on the turn, with American Bella Whittaker chasing. Down the stretch, it was Whittaker with the speed, winning in 49.58, with Jaeger diving for second at 49.62 for a national record! Anning was a clear third at 50.24.
in the 400 m hurdles, Rio 2016 Olympic champ Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S. said that she will retire at the end of the year, but she showed no signs of slowing down, leading wire-to-wire here and winning in 53.34, season’s best. She was challenged early by Norway’s Amalie Iuel, but it was Emma Zapletalova (SVK) who was a clear second off the turn, and finished in 54.44. Heptathlon star Anna Hall of the U.S. suffered a fall on hurdle 10 and was eighth in 1:08.99.
Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, the 2025 World Indoor winner, had only one good jump, but her 14.72 m (48-3 1/2) in the third round was good enough to win. Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore of the U.S. got untracked in round five and reached 14.41 m (47-3 1/2), but was passed by Olympic silver winner Shanieka Ricketts (JAM) in round six, at 14.57 m (47-9 3/4), with Moore slipping to third. Olympic champ Thea Lafond (DMA) finished fifth at 14.26 m (46-9 1/2).
Olympic women’s javelin champ Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) often leaves her best for the late rounds and she did it again, taking the lead in round five with a seasonal best of 64.63 m (212-0) to move ahead of Adriana Vilagos (SRB: 63/78 m/209-3). Olympic silver winner Jo-Ane du Plessis (RSA) was the first-round leader at 62.77 m (205-11), but could not improve.
The fast Diamond League June schedule continues with the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm (SWE) on Sunday the 15th, followed by the Meeting de Paris on the 20th.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 694-event International Sports Calendar for 2025 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
