Oslo Awaits | Diamond League Preview

The Diamond League makes its next stop in the Norwegian capital as seven of Australia’s most talented middle distance stars lace up their spikes for the world renown Bislett Games, while Matthew Denny launches the discus to continue his ascent in toppling the world’s greats.

Australian viewers can tune in live and free from 4.00am AEST this Friday morning via the Diamond League YouTube channel. Full start lists and more information can be found here.

Women’s 3000m – 4.22am AEST

Seldom do fans see four Australians compete in one Diamond League event, but as the country’s resurgence in middle distance continues, so does their influence on the global scene.

Less than a week after shattering the national 1500m record in Eugene, Jessica Hull (Simon Hull) headlines the Aussie affair alongside middle distance mavens Lauren Ryan (Lara Rogers), Rose Davies (Scott Westcott) and Georgia Griffith (Nic Bideau) – all in career-best form and ready to roar over 3000m.

With the distance raced only a handful of times this season, Hull and Griffith toe the line as two of five who have stretched their legs over the distance, with both Australians holding the fastest times of the season. Having raced to fourth place at February’s World Indoor Championships in a new national record of 8:24.39 before returning to home to win the Australian title in 8:37.18, Hull looms as a genuine chance to secure her maiden Diamond League victory.

Griffith has only raced the distance once when finishing second to Hull at Sydney Track Classic, where on debut she raced to become the second fastest Australian over seven and a half laps.

A scorching season has seen Davies shave more than 25 seconds off her 5000m best to become the Australian record holder for the first time, highlighting just how dialed in the Novocastrian is on continuing her trajectory before Paris. Ryan too will be laser focused on the race, looking to accrue all-important ranking points for a chance ay doubling up in Paris to take on both the 10,000m and 5000m.

The race will be paced by Australian Sarah Billings (Nic Bideau).

Men’s Discus  - 4.36am AEST

2024 is shaping up to be the year of Matthew Denny (Dale Stevenson).

Placing second last fortnight to world record holder Mykolas Alekna at the Marrakech Diamond League, Australia’s discus king will be in for a rematch to claim the win as he sizes himself up against world number two and three, Olympic gold medallist Daniel Stahl (SWE) and world champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO).

Despite being the most competitive he has ever been, Denny claims he is not yet content with where he is sitting and will be out to launch something big, fueled by the prospect of breaking the 70-metre mark for the first time and toppling the giants of global discus.

Women’s 800m – 5.11am AEST

It can be said that the Diamond League stage is Catriona Bisset’s (Ned Brophy-Williams) happy place, with seven of her all-time top-10 800m performances clocked at the world’s premier series, including her season’s best performance last week at the Prefontaine Classic.

Running 1:58.44 as she settles into the international season, Bisset lined up against the likes of global medallists Mary Moraa (KEN) and Keely Hodgkinson (GBR), and once again this week, the Australian record holder finds herself amongst a hotly contested field, with just over three second separating first seed and 11^th on paper.

Bisset sits pretty with the fourth quickest time this season, and if her momentum continues, it can be expected that we see the Victorian land be competitive once more in her attempt to strengthen her campaign for Paris.

Men’s 1500m - 5.50am AEST

Australia’s two greatest metric milers are set to immerse themselves amongst the world’s best as national record holder Oliver Hoare (Dathan Ritzenhein) and Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) descend upon Oslo.

Headlined by reigning Olympic champion and hometown hero Jakob Ingebrigsten (NOR), the field of 17 also includes the likes of Olympic medallist Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) and Zatopek:10 winner Andrew Coscoran (IRL), with 10 athletes clocking times under the Olympic qualification standard of 3:33.50 so far this season.

Oslo has long been a happy stomping ground for both Australians in years gone, with Hoare setting the current Australian record at 3:29.41 at last year’s edition of the meet and McSweyn running the quickest mile the world had seen for more than seven years in 2021. Once again, the meet will play a role in the duo’s Olympic campaigns as they gear up for Paris.

McSweyn (3:36.37) and Hoare (3:34.73) may not be amongst the top seeds on seasons bests, but both have displayed their racing prowess and form in recent weeks, with Hoare clocking his first Paris qualifier amongst one of the deepest mile fields in history last week in Eugene, and McSweyn clinching the 5000m qualifier – 0.31 seconds shy of Craig Mottram’s national record.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 29/5/2024