2024 Oslo Diamond League: Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Matt Hudson-Smith and Brittany Brown among biggest winners on night of shocks and records
The rain may have fallen hard at the Bislett Stadium as the 2024 Oslo Diamond League took place on Thursday 30 May, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the home crowd.
On an evening where records fell, surprises were sprung and Olympic aspirations strengthened, the fans who lined the stands in Norway's capital were treated to a Bislett Games that will live long in the memory.
If the first race of the evening set a marker for the rest of the meet, as the Dominican Republic's single-lap world champion Marileidy Paulino set a season's best time of 49.30 seconds in the women's 400m, it only took until the second race for history to be made.
Britain's Matt Hudson-Smith ran the race of his life to win the men's 400m in a new European record of 44.07, beating London 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada to the line (44.58) by over half a second.
Even with his historic victory, Hudson-Smith admitted that his mind is focused on events that will take place elsewhere in the near future. This is, after all, an Olympic year with Paris 2024 less than two months away.
"I wasn't sure what shape I was in and the time didn't matter in a way as I care about victories rather than times, and preparing for the Olympics," the Brit said in an interview following the race. "At the end of the day, times are temporary but medals are forever. I really want to come away from Paris with a medal."
Ingebrigtsen dives to victory at home as athletes show their form with Paris on the horizon
It stands to reason that the biggest roars of the night would be reserved for the home favourites. But even for someone as used to the adulation of the crowds as Jakob Ingebrigtsen, this reception would have been special.
The crowd, who began the evening by singing the Norwegian national anthem with the delicacy of a church choir, ended the night shouting from the top of their lungs, as Norway's 1500m Olympic champion provided arguably the brightest spark of the meet, diving over the line to secure victory in the final race of the evening.
There had been question marks raised in some corners about Ingebrigtsen's form heading into this race, particularly coming so soon after a close Bowerman Mile loss against Britain's Josh Kerr at the Eugene Diamond League.
But if there was a point to prove, the Olympic 1500m champion did so in emphatic fashion. His time of 3:29.74 was not only the fastest of 2024 but a statement victory in a year when he aims to defend his Olympic title.
"I can tell you that was a sprint off," said Ingebrigtsen of a race in which he was chased right to the line by Doha 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot. "It was a good race, I felt stronger than last time. So today, it was all about my improvement and at the same time, I wanted to do my best and to give the crowd the show."
Sterner tests will lie ahead for Ingebrigtsen, with Kerr determined to add Olympic gold to the world 1500m title he won last year and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman also back in action after an injury-marred 2023.
However, for now, this victory will be a confidence booster for Norway's two-time world 5000m champion as he seeks to repeat his Tokyo 2020 Olympic victory over the metric mile.
Brittany Brown springs night's biggest surprise in women's 200m
The greatest shock of the evening came in the women's 200m where Shericka Jackson, the second-fastest half-lap runner in history, was hoping to show she was in the type of form that could bring her a first individual Olympic title.
However, things did not go to plan for the rapid Jamaican, who has been crowned champion at the last two editions of the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Up stepped the USA's Brittany Brown, who beat a world-class field that included numerous athletes who have real aspirations of making it onto the Olympic podium, including Britain's European bronze medallist Daryll Neita (3rd) and Ivorian sprinter and three-time African champion Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith (2nd). Jackson - with the biggest aspirations of them all - could only manage fifth.
Brown's time of 22.32 in Oslo may not come close enough to tickle Jackson's all-time best mark of 21.41, which is just 0.07 seconds outside the fastest time ever in the 200m, set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. However, it does raise the prospect that this year's Olympic 200m race may not be as cut-and-dried as most anticipated, with other Americans including Sha'Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas waiting and watching patiently in the wings.