Bislett Games

The Bislett Games is an annual track and field meeting at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Norway. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the Diamond League.

Bislett Games
The Bislett Games 4 June 2010
DateJune–July
LocationOslo, Norway
World Athletics Cat.GW[1]
Established14 July 1965 (1965-07-14)
Official siteOslo Diamond League

History
The Bislett Games are held at Bislett Stadium. Photo: Kjetil Ree

The first international athletics meeting at Bislett was held in 1924. Until 1937 the competitions are known as "The American Meetings". Different organizers staged the meetings between 1947 and 1965 until the three athletics associations BUL, Vidar and Tjalve formed the Bislett Alliance. At this year Arne Haukvik founded the Bislett Games. He was a former politician and director of the meeting, who used to invite the athletes, sponsors and the press to his home for his traditional "strawberry party" the day before the event each year. He died of cancer in 2002 at age 76. The tradition however is continued.

Bislett Stadium was used for speed skating events at the Olympics, but nowadays it is better known for its Bislett Games athletics meeting. Bislett Games attract the best track and field athletes from all over the world, and 65 world records have been set on its forgiving, brick-coloured track so far. Due to the building of the new Bislett Stadium in Oslo, which started in April 2004, the 2004 edition of the traditional athletics meeting was staged on Fana stadion in Bergen under the name Bergen Bislett Games.

In 2009, a severe storm delayed proceedings and even caused damage to the track-side clock display. Sanya Richards recorded the fastest women's 400 metres time since 2006 while the Dream Mile brought a number of records with winner Deresse Mekonnen improving upon his Ethiopian record, Kenyan William Biwott Tanui setting a world junior record and third-placed Augustine Choge beating his personal best. Former javelin winners Andreas Thorkildsen and Tero Pitkämäki continued their five-year shared dominance of the Bislett Games, with Pitkämäki taking the victory this time.[2]

Alternative events

During 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Bislett Games from taking place, instead an event called Impossible Games was held. In 2021 there were still restrictions which caused the main event to be postponed. A restricted event called Night of Highlights was held instead on June 4, 2021.[3]

World records

Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at the Games and former athletics meetings at Bislett stadium. 1985 three new records was set at the same evening.[4]

Bislett Games
Year Event Record Athlete Nationality
2023 Mile (junior) 4:17.13 Birke Haylom  Ethiopia
2021 400 m hurdles 46.70 Karsten Warholm  Norway
2008 5000 m 14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia
2008 800 m (junior) 1:42.69 Abubaker Kaki  Sudan
2007 5000 m 14:16.63 Meseret Defar  Ethiopia
2004 5000 m 14:24.68 Elvan Abeylegesse  Turkey
2004 5000 m (junior) 14:30.88 Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia
2000 Javelin throw 69.48 m Trine Hattestad  Norway
1997 10000 m 26:31.32 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
1994 10000 m 26:52.23 William Sigei  Kenya
1994 20000 m walk 2:04:55 Bernardo Segura  Mexico
1993 10000 m 26:58.38 Yobes Ondieki  Kenya
1986 10000 m 30:13.74 Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway
1985 10000 m 30:59.42 Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway
1985 5000 m 13:00.40 Saïd Aouita  Morocco
1985 Mile 3:46.32 Steve Cram  United Kingdom
1984 5000 m 14:58.89 Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway
1984 10000 m 30:59.42 Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway
1982 5000 m 13:00.41 David Moorcroft  Great Britain
1981 1000 m 2:12.18 Sebastian Coe  Great Britain
1980 Mile 3:48.8 Steve Ovett  United Kingdom
1979 800 m 1:42.33 Sebastian Coe  Great Britain
1975 3000 m 8:46.6 Grete Waitz  Norway
1975 3000 m steeplechase 8:10.4 Anders Gärderud  Sweden
1974 1000 m 2:13.9 Rick Wohlhuter  United States
1965 10000 m 27:39.4 Ron Clarke  Australia

Differently named meetings
Year Event Record Athlete Nationality
1964 Javelin throw 87.12 m & 91.72 m Terje Pedersen  Norway
1955 1500 m 3:40.8 László Tábori
Gunnar Nielsen		  Hungary
 Denmark
1955 3000 m steeplechase 8:45.4 Pentti Karvonen  Finland
1953 Hammer throw 62.36 m Sverre Strandli  Norway
1952 Hammer throw 61.25 m Sverre Strandli  Norway

American meetings
Year Event Record Athlete Nationality
1936 110 m hurdles 13.7 Forrest Towns  United States
1935 110 m hurdles 14.2 Alvin Moreau  United States
1934 Shot put 17.40 m Jack Torrance  United States
1934 Discus throw 52.42 m Harald Andersson  Sweden
1925 Pole vault 4.23 m Charles Hoff  Norway
1924 110 m hurdles 14.2 Percy Beard  Canada

Meeting records

Men
Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref
100 m 9.79 (+0.6 m/s) Usain Bolt  Jamaica 7 June 2012 [5]
200 m 19.77 (+0.6 m/s) Erriyon Knighton  United States 15 June 2023 [6]
400 m 43.86 Michael Johnson  United States 21 July 1995
800 m 1:42.04 David Rudisha  Kenya 4 June 2010
1000 m 2:12.18 Sebastian Coe  Great Britain 11 July 1981
1500 m 3:27.95 Jakob Ingebrigtsen  Norway 15 June 2023 [6]
Mile 3:44.90 Hicham El Guerrouj  Morocco 4 July 1997
2000 m 4:50.01 Jakob Ingebrigtsen  Norway 11 June 2020 [7]
3000 m 7:26.25 DLR Yomif Kejelcha  Ethiopia 1 July 2021 [8]
Two miles 8:15.2 Rod Dixon  New Zealand 17 July 1979
5000 m 12:41.73 Yomif Kejelcha  Ethiopia 15 June 2023 [6]
6 miles 26:47.0 Ron Clarke  Australia 14 July 1965
10000 m 26:31.32 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia 4 July 1997
25000 m (track) 1:12:46.51 Sondre Nordstad Moen  Norway 11 June 2020 [9]
110 m hurdles 13.00 (−0.1 m/s) Ladji Doucouré  France 29 July 2005
300 m hurdles 33.78 Karsten Warholm  Norway 11 June 2020 [10]
400 m hurdles 46.52 DLR Karsten Warholm  Norway 15 June 2023 [6]
2000 m steeplechase 5:20.00 Krzysztof Wesołowski  Poland 28 June 1984
3000 m steeplechase 8:01.83 Paul Kipsiele Koech  Kenya 9 June 2011 [11]
High jump 2.38 m Mutaz Essa Barshim  Qatar 15 June 2017 [12]
Pole vault 6.02 m Armand Duplantis  Sweden 16 June 2022 [13]
Long jump 8.53 m Irving Saladino  Panama 2 June 2006 [14]
Triple jump 18.01 m (+0.4 m/s) Jonathan Edwards  Great Britain 9 July 1998
Shot put 22.29 m Tomas Walsh  New Zealand 7 June 2018 [15]
Discus throw 70.51 m Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania 15 June 2007
Hammer throw 81.92 m DLR Wojciech Nowicki  Poland 15 June 2023 [6]
Javelin throw 94.22 m (Old design)
92.60 m (Current design)		 Michael Wessing
Raymond Hecht		  West Germany
 Germany		 3 August 1978
21 July 1995
5000 m walk 20:27.0+ Erling Andersen  Norway 3 August 1979
10000 m walk 40:50.0 Erling Andersen  Norway 3 August 1979
20000 m walk 1:27:56.8 Erling Andersen  Norway 23 August 1981
30000 m walk 2:35:45.6 Tore Brustad  Norway 20 July 1970
50000 m walk 4:42:10.0 Per Ola Sverre  Norway 9 August 1974
4 × 1500 m relay 14:40.4 h Tony Polhill 3:42.9
John Walker 3:40.4
Rod Dixon 3:41.2
Dick Quax 3:35.9		  New Zealand 22 August 1973

Women
Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref
100 m 10.75 (+0.9 m/s) Marie-Josée Ta Lou  Ivory Coast 15 June 2023 [6]
200 m 21.93 (+0.7 m/s) Dafne Schippers  Netherlands 9 June 2016 [16]
400 m 49.23 Taťána Kocembová  Czechoslovakia 23 August 1983
600 m 1:29.06 Hedda Hynne  Norway 11 June 2020 [17]
800 m 1:55.04 Jarmila Kratochvílová  Czechoslovakia 23 August 1983
1500 m 3:57.40 Suzy Favor-Hamilton  United States 28 July 2000
Mile 4:17.13 Birke Haylom  Ethiopia 15 June 2023 [6]
3000 m 8:25.01 Beatrice Chebet  Kenya 15 June 2023 [6]
5000 m 14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba  Ethiopia 6 June 2008
10000 m 30:13.74 Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway 5 July 1986
100 m hurdles 12.49 (+0.7 m/s) Sally Pearson  Australia 7 June 2012 [18]
200 m hurdles 26.11 (-0.9 m/s) Line Kloster  Norway 11 June 2020 [19]
300 m hurdles 39.42 Sara Petersen  Denmark 11 June 2020 [20]
400 m hurdles 52.30 Femke Bol  Netherlands 15 June 2023 [6]
3000 m steeplechase 9:03.71 Norah Jeruto  Kenya 13 June 2019 [21]
High jump 2.05 m Stefka Kostadinova  Bulgaria 4 July 1987
Pole vault 4.85 m Yelena Isinbayeva  Russia 15 June 2007
Long jump 7.29 m (+0.9 m/s) Heike Drechsler  Germany 22 July 1994
Triple jump 15.11 m (+0.1 m/s) Yamilé Aldama  Cuba 27 June 2003
Shot put 20.26 m Valerie Adams  New Zealand 9 June 2011 [22]
Discus throw 71.00 m Galina Savinkova  Soviet Union 16 July 1985
Javelin throw 76.34 m (Old design)
69.48 m (Current design)		 Fatima Whitbread
Trine Hattestad		  United Kingdom
 Norway		 4 July 1987
28 July 2000
3000 m walk 13:45.7 Frøydis Hilsen  Norway 23 August 1981
5000 m walk 22:59.6 Anita Blomberg  Norway 17 June 1988
4 × 400 m relay 3:28.38 DLR Carys McAulay
Ama Pipi
Lina Nielsen
Nicole Kendall		  Great Britain 15 June 2023 [23]

See also

References
  1. "IAAF World Ranking Calendar". IAAF. 2019.
  2. Turner, Chris (3 July 2009). Richards improves season’s lead in style; World Junior Mile record in Oslo – REPORT – ÅF Golden League. IAAF.
  3. Tveito, Sjur; Hansen, Ole Jonny (4 June 2021). "Warholm tok ny verdensrekord på 300 meter hekk". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  4. "Er dette det største Bislett-øyeblikket?". Aftenposten (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  5. "100 Metres Results". IAAF. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  6. Cathal Dennehy (15 June 2023). "Warholm and Ingebrigtsen outstanding in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  7. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  8. Jess Whittington (1 July 2021). "Warholm breaks world 400m hurdles record with 46.70 in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  9. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  10. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  11. "3000m Steeplechase Men: Results" (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  12. "High Jump Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  13. Jon Mulkeen (16 June 2022). "Ingebrigtsen, Bol and Duplantis in record-breaking form in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  14. "Senior Outdoor Long Jump Men". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  15. "Shot Put Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  16. "200m Results" (PDF). static.sportresult.com. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  17. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  18. "100 Metres Hurdles Results". IAAF. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
  19. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  20. Thomas Byrne (11 June 2020). "Warholm smashes 300m hurdles world best in Oslo". World Athletics. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  21. Bob Ramsak (13 June 2019). "Coleman dashes 9.85 in Oslo – IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  22. "Shot Put Results" (PDF). diamondleague.com. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  23. "4×400m Relay Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
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