Allman and Perkovic to go head-to-head in Oslo

Croatia’s two-time Olympic and world gold medallist Sandra Perkovic will go head-to-head with USA’s Olympic champion Valarie Allman when the discus stars clash at the Bislett Games, the fifth meeting in this year’s Wanda Diamond League series, in Oslo on 15 June.

Perkovic claimed six consecutive Diamond League titles between 2012 and 2017, while Allman is a two-time winner thanks to her victories in 2021 and 2022. Allman only lost at one Diamond League meeting in 2022 and that defeat came at the Bislett Games, to Perkovic. Perkovic also secured silver at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, while Allman claimed bronze a year after her Olympic victory in Tokyo.

Now they will compete again, as they both target further Diamond League success in a season that features the final in Eugene and a World Championships in Budapest. Allman has already demonstrated her strength this season, throwing 67.90m at the start of this month and then 70.25m for the third-best mark of her career one week later.

In a competitive field for the Oslo meeting, Allman and Perkovic are set to be joined by Olympic silver medallist Kristin Pudenz, world fourth-place finisher Jorinde van Klinken, European bronze medallist Claudine Vita and Olympic fifth-place finisher Liliana Ca.

Other athletes already announced for the Bislett Games include world record-holders Wayde van Niekerk in the 400m, Karsten Warholm in the 400m hurdles and Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m.

Sondre Guttormsen will compete in the pole vault alongside his brother Simen and Pal Haugen Lillefosse, while Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal will line up for the 3000m.