The Norwegian Karsten Warholm broke the ancient world record over 400 meter hurdles at the Diamond League meeting of track and field athletes in Oslo.
In his home game at Bislett Stadium, the 25-year-old won the race on Thursday evening in an unbelievable 46.70 seconds.
The world and European champion remained eight hundredths of a second under the almost 29-year-old dream time of American Kevin Young at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Warholm had previously improved his own European record several times - most recently in August 2020 to 46.87 seconds.
"I knew that I had a quick time in my body," said Warholm, "but it's different to go out and do it." It was very special to run this record in front of such a great home crowd - his friends and family were also at the stadium.
For Warholm it was the first race over 400 meter hurdles in the Olympic season.
"I think so," he said, "that I really have a little more in the tank."
Second behind the man of the evening was Alison dos Santos from Brazil in 47.38 seconds ahead of the Turkish Yasmani Copello (48.86).
The German champion Constantin Preis from Sindelfingen experienced the world record race as fifth in 49.79 seconds at close range.
Mihambo increases
Long jump world champion Malaika Mihambo missed the seven-meter mark one month before the Olympic Games in Tokyo by just a good foot width. The 27-year-old from LG Kurpfalz took the victory with 6.86 meters. She won ahead of the Serbian Ivana Spanovic (6.66 meters) and Nastassia Mirontschyk-Iwanowa from Belarus (6.72). Spanovic ended up in second place because she jumped further than Mirontschyk-Ivanova in the decisive sixth round. Four days ago, Mihambo won in Leverkusen with the season's personal best of 6.92 meters.
In addition to Warholm pole vault high-flyer Armand Duplantis, there was a spectacle, even if he could not set the world record. The 21-year-old European champion from Sweden failed three times at 6.19 meters - by one centimeter he would have exceeded his own record of February 2020. Nevertheless, Duplantis did not dispute the victory: The favorite won with 6.01 meters ahead of world champion Sam Kendricks (USA / 5.91).
Javelin thrower Christin Hussong won with the second best daily distance of 62.62 meters ahead of the Polish Maria Andrejczyk, who threw five centimeters further, but lost out in the sixth attempt. The last round, which only the top trio contests, is decisive in some technical disciplines in the Diamond League in order to increase the tension: Hussong, the 27-year-old European champion from Zweibrücken, reached 60.95 meters with her last throw, Andrejczyk only 60.35 meters. The winner clearly missed her German annual best of 69.19 meters.