The battle for bragging rights between Britain’s top two sprinters was left hanging in the warm Oslo air after Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita could not be separated after a thrilling 100m. The women, who will be targeting world medals in Budapest in August, were adjudged to have run a dead heat after returning times of 10.98 seconds.
While that time was respectable – and marked a notable return to form for Asher-Smith – both wanted more after finishing in joint-fourth behind Marie-Josée Ta Lou, whose time of 10.74 is the fastest of the year.
“I was hoping for a little bit quicker because I really think I am in great shape right now but sometimes that just doesn’t happen,” said Asher-Smith, who had no response when Ta Lou surged clear in the final 30m. “I was really happy to do all right in a really stacked field, although maybe my start could have been a bit better.”
Neita, meanwhile, was slightly more upbeat. “I am not happy with fourth place but I am happy with another sub-11,” she said. “It’s not so bad.”
Numerous world records have been set down the years at Bislett Stadium, by athletes of the calibre of Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram – including three famously on the same night in 1985. But while there was no world record on this night, there were plenty of brilliant races and fast times.
Chief among them was the sight of the Norwegian Karsten Warholm back to his best in the 400m hurdles. The world record-holder and Olympic champion delighted his home crowd by charging to victory in 46.52 – the fourth-fastest time ever and a Diamond League record – in his first race of the year.
“The adrenaline was really pumping in the last 100m,” he said. “Today shows in the right circumstances, I can really attack the world record, maybe even this year. It really sucked to be out injured last year and I wanted to make sure I came back with a big boom.”
There was also a European 1500m record for another Norwegian Olympic champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who ran 3.27.95 to put him sixth on the all-time list. “The race went as expected – running by myself as usual and the crowd was amazing,” said Ingebrigtsen, who ran a world best over two miles in Paris last Friday. Such was the quality of the race that Britain’s Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley both ran 3:30 yet were only ninth and 10th respectively.
Earlier in the evening, Britain’s 400m world bronze medallist Matt Hudson-Smith made an encouraging return to form after an Achilles injury as he dipped under 45 seconds for the first time this season. However he faded in the final 80m to finish fifth in 44.92, behind the South African Wayde van Niekerk, who took victory in 44.38.
Meanwhile the 17-year-old Ethiopian Birke Haylom gave further notice of her staggering talent by breaking clear of the pack early in the dream mile to win in 4:17.13, a new meeting record.
