Athletics: Oslo is relaunching the season in total freestyle mode…. Sport

Original distances (600m, 200m hurdles, 300m hurdles, 3000m, 2000m by teams, etc.), a long distance pole competition … Oslo is hosting, on Thursday, “Impossible Games”, in other words the first multi-disciplinary event and international athletics since the cessation of competitions due to coronavirus.

The Norwegian capital was supposed to host the eighth stage of the Diamond League. While the start of the main circuit of the season has been postponed to August 14 in Monaco, the organizers still wanted to be there, even if it meant radically upsetting the classic format of a meeting.

The evening will take place behind closed doors in the legendary Bislett Stadion. But the poster will look great with the physical or screen presence of several world stars.

Duplantis against Lavillenie from a distance…

The pole should attract all eyes, with a new duel between Armand Duplantis and Renaud Lavillenie. The Swedish prodigy, who stole the French world record this winter (6.18 m), will be present on the track while his old rival will officiate from the jumper installed in his garden in Clermont.

The two men have already had the opportunity to compete from a distance on May 3 in a very specific configuration (crossing a maximum of bars at 5 m in 30 minutes), but this time the competition will obey the usual rules.

The organizers especially wanted the performance achieved in the stadium by Duplantis, and therefore a possible world record, to be approved by adding two other Norwegian opponents, since it takes a minimum of three athletes for a result to be validated by the International Federation.

Me, reacts LavillenieI will compete alone upstream. My jump will not be able to be certified since my necklace is not, but at the moment, the most important thing is not to have valid competitions and performances. It’s already huge to be able to do exhibition competitions.

Norwegian athletic stars

Oslo also beat the recall of the country’s stars. Like the double world gold medalist in the 400m hurdles, Karsten Warholm, who will run a 300m hurdles alone. The three Ingebrigtsen brothers (Filip, Henrik, Jakob) will team up to challenge a Kenyan formation over 2000m which will take place in Nairobi and will be led by the last two world champions of the 1500m, Timothy Cheruiyot (2019) and Elijah Manangoi (2017 ).

Other local attractions: the queen of cross-country skiing, Therese Johaug, will take the start of the 10,000m of which she has held the national title since 2019. Her compatriot Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal will seek to beat, alone, the Norwegian record in the 3000m, guided by a light system installed along the track which will serve as a hare. The lights will come on according to the rhythm of the target record. When the fate is contrary, there remains the imagination …

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